Gunmen Kill Three Mourners While Returning From Burial, Abduct Two in Benue Attack
Armed men on Saturday night attacked and killed three people returning from a burial in Sati-Ikov Council Ward of Ushongo Local Government Area in Benue State.
Residents said the victims were ambushed close to the community after attending a funeral. One resident, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisals, said the attackers struck as the mourners were heading home.
“Some mourners who were returning from a burial were attacked close to Sati-Ikov on Saturday night. Three of them were killed, while two others—a man and a woman—were abducted,” the resident said.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, the lawmaker representing Ushongo Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, Simon Gabo, condemned what he described as repeated attacks by armed groups in the area.
He said the community had experienced escalating violence over the past two weeks, resulting in multiple deaths.
Gabo identified the deceased as Bem Msughter of Mbakyombo, Daav-Ikov; Daav Chia of Mbamegh, Daa-Ikov; and Sunday Terwase of Mbakyor, Daav-Ikov.
He also named the abducted victims as Aondongu Amos, a POS operator from Mbanyion, and Mrs Arinze, an Igbo patent medicine dealer based in Sati-Ikov.
According to him, the attackers struck as the mourners were returning from a burial ceremony before robbing and killing some victims and taking others hostage.
He alleged that the armed men often cross into Ushongo Local Government Area from Katsina-Ala Local Government Area through nearby forests and river routes to launch attacks before retreating.
“So they cross from there to our side, attack, and return. It is a mountainous area with dense forests,” he said.
Gabo added that security agencies had been alerted, noting that police personnel were deployed to the community on Sunday morning.
The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report.
The latest attack has heightened fear among residents, amid growing concerns over worsening insecurity in parts of Benue State.