By George Okoh
Suspected herdsmen in the early hours of Tuesday attacked Agasha town in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State and killed two residents of the town.
Luck however ran out for the assailants as the personnel of the Nigerian Army Operation Whirl Stroke repelled and killed four of them.
A resident of the area, who craved anonymity, disclosed that the attackers invaded the village at about 1:30 a.m and shot sporadically, killing the two persons and injuring a few others.
The source also said an old woman residing close to a primary school in Agasha was also shot by the attackers during the invasion.
Speaking with journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday, the Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, said: “Some suspected armed herdsmen infiltrated Agasha in Guma LGA of Benue State and killed two villagers overnight.
“Operation Whirl Stroke troops on patrol in the area immediately mobilised to the scene but the herdsmen had fled before their arrival.
“Troops subsequently tracked the assailants through some of the nearby communities overnight while other troops deployed at Tomatar across the river also in Guma blocked the escape route towards Nasarawa State.
“At about 6 o’clock this morning (Tuesday), troops had contact with the armed herdsmen at a make shift camp close to the Benue River during which four of the assailants were killed, while troops recovered two AK 47 rifles, four magazines and 65 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition from the bandits.”
Yekini added that no casualty was recorded on the side of the troops, stressing that the troops are currently in search and destroy operation in the area.
