NO fewer than 25 persons were feared dead, Monday, in a fresh outbreak of heavy fighting between suspected
fulani mercenaries and Tiv youths at Agasha and Yelwata, in Guma local government area of Benue State.
Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness that at the time of filing this report the mercenaries had sacked and taken over Tse-Gaa and Tse-Kpaegh, Kaambe district while fighting was still raging at Yelwata.
According to our source, the invaders who opened up two battle fronts in Guma this morning were matching towards the ancient town of Agasha but were being repelled by youths of the community.
“Several houses and farmland have been set ablaze by the herdsmen and many are fleeing the besieged communities.
“They stormed our communities in their hundreds early Monday morning, shooting sporadically and killing anything in sight, over 25 persons must have been killed on both sides; they took away two of our youths alive but many of our people are missing.
“They came into Agasha after crossing River Buruku at Ayila from neigbouring Nasarawa state; same for Yelwata which is also a border community.”
The Special Assistant to Governor Gabriel Suswam on Banking and Investment, Mr. Ayoosu Bem who hails from one of the invaded communities said youths of the area were putting up a resistance to the invaders.
Bem said, “the attackers came this morning and started killing and burning down houses; some of our people are missing while many are fleeing their homes.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Superintendent, SP, Daniel Ezeala confirmed the attack but said the command was yet to confirm the number of casualties adding that security personnel had been drafted to the affected communities.
BY PETE DURU
