Gunmen Kill Six in Attack on Gugur Community, Benue State

Gunmen suspected to be local militias carried out a deadly attack on Tuesday night in the Gugur community of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Benue State, resulting in the tragic death of six individuals.

According to sources within the local government, the assailants, riding motorcycles, stormed the community between 9pm and 10pm, unleashing violence that claimed multiple lives.

Confirming the incident, Jonathan Agbidye, the representative of the constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, stated that the attack was believed to be a reprisal. Earlier in April, locals had reportedly apprehended and killed two individuals linked to the perpetrators.

Agbidye remarked, “The victims in that community had confronted the hoodlums previously; unfortunately, this incident appears to be a retaliatory strike. However, the situation has since calmed down, and this morning we visited the area with police personnel.”

Further validating the occurrence, Shaku Justine, the chairman of Katsina-Ala Local Government, reiterated that the militias carried out the assault during the specified time frame, resulting in the deaths of six community members.

Justine noted, “The attack occurred between 9pm and 10pm yesterday. Six individuals lost their lives in this tragic event.” He added that both he and Agbidye had visited the affected community to assess the situation firsthand, emphasizing that stability is gradually returning.

Despite attempts to gather information, Catherine Anene, the spokesperson for the state police command, stated that they had not yet received an official report regarding the incident.