The Samuel Ortom-led Government of Benue State will organise a mass burial on Friday for the 24 victims of latest mass murder in the state.
The victims, mainly women and children, were killed in Omusu Edimoga in Okpokwu LGA of the state.
They were killed by suspected herdsmen in an alleged retaliatory move following the death of two herdsmen and their cattle on Monday morning.
Irate youths of the community had allegedly engaged some herdsmen in a fight and in the process two herdsmen and their cattle got missing.
Following a peace meeting organised by the council chairman, Olofu Ogwuche and the head of the Fulani community in the council to resolve ensuing crisis, the police were mandated to find the missing herdsmen.
However, one of the herdsmen was reportedly found dead.
This enraged some herdsmen who “surreptitiously went on rampage, resulting in stabbing to death of 15 persons mainly women and children, while some houses were set ablaze,” the Benue State Police Command PRO, Moses Yamu told TheCable.
The council boss, Ogwuche said 24 persons lost their lives in the rampage.
The police PRO confirmed that four persons had been arrested in connection to the attack and security has been beefed up in the area.
Friday’s mass burial would be the second in three months in the North Central state.
The state had in January held a mass burial for 73 victims of suspected herdsmen attacks who were murdered on New Year’s Day in Guma and Logo LGAs.
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