Gunmen on Friday night, April 8, 2023 reportedly took the lives of 34 persons during an attack on Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp at LGEA Primary School Mgban, in Nyiev Council Ward of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
A resident whose name was given as Jonah revealed that the gunmen launched an attack on the community around 9pm on Friday April 7.
He said the armed men killed a pregnant woman and her son while many people sustained various degrees of injury.
The Security Adviser of Guma local government council, Christopher Waku, confirmed that 34 persons lost their lives while over 40 others sustained various degrees of injury.
Waku who said he was an eyewitness said those who lost their lives in the attack were those who were displaced from their ancestral homes and were taking refuge at a classroom in LGEA Mgban.
“We recovered 24 corpses inside the classroom while the remaining 10 bodies were picked up along the road in the community. They were killed while running away.
“It happened yesterday (Friday), about few minutes after 9pm. Some armed men suspected to be herders came and attacked the community called Mgban; killed 34 persons while over 40 were severely injured and have been taking to the hospital. This killing can best be described as genocide,” Waku said.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the state police command, SP Catherine Anene, in a text message released to newsmen, said: “Incident confirmed please,” Anene stated without details.