Gunmen burn down 11 houses in Benue, as security agents fend off attack
Suspected gunmen on Friday invaded Anwase village in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, burning down eleven houses according to reports.
Spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, corroborated the news on Friday.
“It is true, there was attack on Anwase but our gallant officers repelled them and there was no casualty,” he said to news sources.
A source in the community where the incident took place, said the attack resulted in injuries for some residents.
A former Councillor in the local government Lawrence Akerigbe, speaking to news correspondents, said the situation was salvaged by the prompt intervention of security agents.
“The attack on Anwase happened at about noon on Friday, the invaders burnt down about 11 houses.
“Some people were also injured during the attack but fortunately, security operatives that were deployed to Abande community that was attacked three days earlier were on patrol when they ran into the invaders.
“Immediately the bandits sighted the security men they fled, that was what saved the situation,” he said.
Akerigbe decried the continuous attacks, saying that in the past two years, over 70 lives have been lost to the attacks in the local government.
Similarly, six people were murdered on Tuesday during an attack by bandits in Abande, a neighbouring community to Anwase, according to reports.
Communities in Kwande local government area have been scenes of attacks by bandits, with over 28 deaths recorded in the aftermath of the 2024 Christmas Day attack in Anwase.
