No fewer than 13 people were killed on Friday after gunmen suspected to be armed herders attacked Anwase Market in Mbaikyor, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attackers reportedly stormed the busy market, shooting indiscriminately at traders and residents, abducting several market women, and setting shops and stalls on fire before escaping.
The assault threw the community into panic, leaving many residents traumatised, properties destroyed, and families searching for missing relatives.
An aide to the Kwande Local Government Chairman, Ibi Andrew, confirmed the incident, stating that 13 persons lost their lives during the attack. He added that the council chairman, Vitalis Neji, alongside security agencies, had visited the area to restore calm and prevent further violence.
An eyewitness said the gunmen emerged from a nearby mountain and opened fire as they advanced into the market. Traders and residents reportedly fled in different directions as gunshots rang out, after which the attackers set several stalls ablaze and forcefully took some women away before retreating towards the mountain.
As of Friday evening, the Benue State Police Command had yet to officially confirm the incident. Efforts to reach the police spokesperson, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages went unanswered.
The attack occurred barely two days after a similar assault on Abande community, also in Kwande Local Government Area, where at least 16 people were reportedly killed.
Residents said the Abande attack happened on Tuesday afternoon during market hours. Eyewitnesses recounted that gunmen invaded the market, opened fire on civilians, looted shops, and set parts of the market ablaze, leaving bodies scattered and properties destroyed.
A community leader and former supervisory councillor in Kwande LGA, Lawrence Akerigba, said the assailants carted away millions of naira belonging to traders before torching the market.
He noted that the attack occurred on Abande market day, when the area was crowded with buyers and sellers. According to him, a mobile police officer believed to be the unit commander on duty was also killed during the assault.
Akerigba added that by about 11:55 p.m., some of the victims’ bodies were being evacuated to Jato-Aka by Mobile Police Force personnel stationed in the area. He further disclosed that several residents were still missing and that search efforts were ongoing.
Lamenting the recurring attacks, he said many residents had been forced to flee their homes, spreading fear across Turan and neighbouring communities, and underscoring the worsening security situation in the area.
