Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom, has lamented the killing of 134 people by rampaging armed invaders within five days in separate attacks on villages in Otukpo, Apa and Guma Local Government Areas of the state.
It was gathered that the death toll of Wednesday’s attack on Umogidi village in Otukpo LGA rose to 52 from the initial 46 recorded on the spot.
Three people had been killed in the same village a day before the massacre.
Also, the death toll from the Friday night attack on Ngban IDP camp in Guma LGA rose from 36 to 38 as of Sunday while other parts of the local government recorded unspecified numbers of deaths caused by the armed men within the five days.
Similarly, in Apa LGA, 47 people were reportedly killed on April 3 in different villages, including the Ikobi community, where a traditional ruler was killed along with some of his subjects.
Ortom, who spoke to journalists when he visited over 36 injured victims, mainly women and children of Ngban attack at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), described the attacks as, “heinous and cowardly.”
He, however, appealed to the community and its leaders to continue to be law abiding and be vigilant at all times so as to be able to wade off the assailants.
The governor reiterated his call on President Muhammadu Buhari to match words with action by deploying more troops to halt the senseless killings.
Earlier, the Mue Ter Ihyarev, who also spoke on behalf of Ter Guma, HRH Dennis Shemberga, expressed deep shock over the unprovoked killing of his subjects by the armed invaders.
He appealed to the president to send more troops in the troubled spots to end the killings.
