Minister Of Defence Arrives Plateau State Over Killings

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, arrived at Yakubu Gowon airport, Heipang on Saturday for a condolence visit, and assessment of areas attacked in Zikke community of Bassa local government area.

The minister was received by General Officer Commanding 3 Division Nigerian Army and Commander Operation Safe Haven, Maj Gen Folusho Oyinlola, accompanied by Rtd Brig Gen Gakji Shipi, Special Assistant to the Governor on security matters and other senior military officers.

The development comes as the Governor of the state, Hyacinth Alia, told our correspondent that deaths from the attacks had risen to 20.

According to him, five corpses were recovered earlier in Gbagir and taken to the morgue, but later, civilians searching for their loved ones, discovered two more corpses.

He said a family in Gbagir that insisted on burying their relative immediately had been provided cover letters by security forces to perform brief burial rites.

According to the governor, the police, while also responding to the simultaneous attacks in Logo, recovered 12 corpses, which were also deposited at a mortuary, bringing the total casualty figure to 20 persons killed in the coordinated attack by suspected herdsmen in Sankera.

The state government reiterated its commitment to the safety of lives and prosperity, with the assurance to Benue residents to volunteer information to security agencies to deal with insecurity promptly.

The development comes after the Police Public Relations Officer for Benue State, Sewuese Anene, in a statement issued on Friday, said information was received that a large number of suspected militia had invaded the Sankera axis of the state, and the police moved in to engage the militia in Gbagir, where they had killed five more persons.

As of Friday, estimation brought the number of persons killed to 17 in total.

These killings have sparked wild speculations on social media, where it is alleged that suspected herdsmen invaded the area and killed about 100 persons, but the police have cautioned against unconfirmed rumours in dealing with casualty figures.