Suspected herdsmen have again unleashed violence on communities in Benue State, with three villages in the Otukpo Local Government Area – Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju – coming under coordinated attack on Wednesday.

These communities were previously targeted in February, when five persons were killed. The latest incident comes just one day after the killing of 11 residents in Otobi, also within Otukpo LGA.

Local sources report that several people may have lost their lives in the renewed assault, although official figures remain unconfirmed.

The attacks occurred shortly after Governor Hyacinth Alia announced the arrest of three suspected herders in connection with Tuesday night’s attack on Otobi.

Confirming the fresh violence, Chairman of Otukpo LGA, Maxwell Ogiri, said the armed attackers struck while the Commissioner of Police was still at the Ochidoma Palace responding to the previous day’s violence.

Ogiri disclosed that three individuals sustained injuries during the attacks, forcing women and children to flee the affected communities.

“Only young men were present in the villages when the attackers came. A swift response by combined security operatives forced the assailants to flee, though no arrests were made,” he said.

Efforts to obtain further details from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful, as Police Public Relations Officer, Sewuese Anene, was yet to comment at the time of filing this report.