30 feared killed in Benue violence, auto crash

NO fewer than 30  persons  were on Saturday morning killed by suspected gunmen in Oguchi-Ankpa in Agatu council  of Benue  State  while  15 other died in  a ghastly motor accident yesterday when a tanker truck conveying fuel colluded with a commercial bus at Agudo near Wannune, Tarka Local Council Area of the  State.

The Guardian gathered that the attackers were suspected to be Fulani marauders who have been constantly invading the area for over a year ago.

But Governor Gabriel Suswam has assured the people of adequate security to enable those who fled their homes from previous attacks return home.

A source in the area who spoke to The Guardian said that most of the victims who died during the invasion were killed in their sleep between 4am and 5am as the invaders broke into the residences of the villagers.

The source further indicated that several people sustained various degree of injuries from gun shots while a large number of houses and other other household items worth millions of naira were destroyed during the attack.

Governor Suswam along with his Deputy, Chief Stephen Lawani and the security chiefs in the state were in Agatu yesterday to visit the sacked 21 communities and inspect the level of  damage in the  area.

Suswam  also  charged the people to be security conscious and report suspicious movements to the relevant security agencies.

The governor also donated five motorcycles to the community to help their logistics of reporting suspicious movement in the area.

The accident, The Guardian gathered, occurred at about 32 kilometres  from Gboko to Wannune.

It was revealed that the tanker with registration number XD 577 JJN was heading from Gboko to Makurdi while the 14-seater commercial bus with registration number XA 495 KAL, belonging to Pleasure Travels Transport Company, Makurdi  was conveying passengers from Makurdi to Jato Aka town in Kwande Local Council of the state.

A senior Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) officer that ran into the scene of the accident but pleaded anonymity told The Guardian that all the passengers on board the tanker as well as the driver sustained various degrees of injuries and are also responding to treatment at Wannune General Hospital.

Also, the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Daniel Ezeala confirmed the accident, saying that the divisional police officer in the area has taken charge of the situation and that investigation into the accident is in progress.