The Adaka community is about 20 kilometres on the outskirts of Makurdi Local Government Area.
Suspected gunmen on Saturday killed three people during an attack on the Adaka community in Makurdi, Benue’s state capital, an official has said.
Terver Akase, the media aide to Governor Samuel Ortom, announced the incident to reporters on Sunday.
He said the Adaka community is about 20 kilometres on the outskirts of Makurdi Local Government Area.
A resident of the community, Iorkohol Unande, who survived the incident, said the attack was unprovoked, the statement claimed.
Residents said the attackers shot sporadically, injuring several persons in the community. Three dead bodies were recovered after the attackers retreated.
The statement said the deceased had bullet wounds and their bodies were mutilated.
“Benue State has been under incessant brutal attacks by invading (Gunmen) and the renewed killings are coming barely two months after similar separate attacks took place in Gbeji and Ukohol, communities in Ukum Local Government Areas of the state where at least 60 persons including two security personnel were massacred.
“This renewed spate of attacks on Benue communities has generated reactions from individuals and groups who have condemned what they perceive as pogrom targeted at hapless citizens, the official statement said.
Meanwhile, reacting to the unending orgy of bloodletting, a resident of Makurdi, John Kwaghmande, stated that “the gunmen have a mission to displace our people and take over our lands ahead of next year’s polls.
“It is unfortunate that other politicians in our state are collaborating with these monstrous terrorists to unleash mayhem on our people. We will reject such persons at the polls.”
“Official statistics from the Benue State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA indicate that the state currently has over 2 million persons taking refuge in Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs camps as a result of Fulani herdsmen attacks”, Mr Akase said in the statement.