Six persons have been reportedly killed by gunmen in Igba-Ukyor and Tse Baka communities of Ushongo Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue state.
The armed men stormed the communities on motorbikes Sunday night at about 8 pm shooting sporadically and killing anyone they caught up with.
“They rode on motorbikes from one village to the other. Igba Ukyor community was the first place they attacked. They killed five persons there and after that, they moved to nearby Tse Baka where they also killed one other person,” a source living in th area told newsmen.
According to him “the strange attack created pandemonium in the communities, people fled their homes for fear of being killed. Some of them ran into the bush last night to hide only to return this morning from their hiding places.”
Meanwhile, the State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom who hails from Ushongo LGA confirmed the development.
Iortyom said: “Finding available to me indicate that unknown gunmen riding on Bajaj motorcycles stormed Igba-Ukyor settlement area of Daav, Ikóv Council Ward of Ushongo LGA at about 8 pm yesterday (Sunday), and shot indiscriminately with automatic firearms killing five persons on the spot.
“They were said to have proceeded to a Tse Baka which is a nearby settlement and killed one person. Information regarding their identity and motives are yet to be ascertained.”