Fresh Bloodshed In Benue As Terrorists Storm Market, Kill 13
Gunmen Strike Anwase Market
SUSPECTED terrorists have launched another deadly attack on Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, killing at least 13 people in a renewed assault that has left residents shaken and fearful.
The latest attack occurred on Friday at Anwase Market in Mbaikyor ward, barely days after a similar deadly raid on Abande community in the same local government area. The market, usually crowded with traders and buyers, was thrown into chaos when the assailants stormed the area and opened fire indiscriminately.
Witnesses said the attackers emerged suddenly from a nearby mountain and descended on the market, shooting sporadically and forcing traders and residents to flee in different directions.
“They came from the mountain, shooting everywhere. People ran for their lives. After that, they started burning shops and taking some women away,” a trader told reporters, requesting anonymity for security reasons.
Casualties, Abductions and Arson
An aide to the Kwande Local Government chairman, Ibi Andrew, confirmed that 13 people were killed during the attack. He added that several market women were abducted by the assailants, while shops and stalls were set ablaze, destroying goods worth millions of naira.
Andrew disclosed that the council chairman, Vitalis Neji, accompanied by security agencies, visited the affected area shortly after the attack in a bid to restore calm and prevent further violence.
As of Friday evening, residents said families were still searching for missing relatives, particularly women who were reportedly taken away by the attackers during the raid.
Attack Follows Abande Killings
The Anwase market attack came just two days after another deadly assault on Abande community, also in Kwande LGA. That attack, which occurred on Tuesday during a market day, claimed at least five lives, including a mobile police officer.
Reports indicated that gunmen looted shops, robbed traders of large sums of money and set parts of the market on fire. An Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force was among those killed.
A community leader and former supervisory councillor in Kwande, Lawrence Akerigba, had earlier disclosed that several residents went missing after the Abande attack.
Fear Grips Kwande Communities
Residents of the Turan district said repeated attacks have forced many people to flee their homes, farms and markets, worsening an already fragile security situation.
“The situation is getting worse. People are no longer safe in their farms or markets. We are living in fear every day,” a resident lamented.
The Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Edet Udeme, did not respond to calls or messages seeking confirmation of the Anwase market attack.
The renewed violence adds to the broader security crisis in Benue State, where rural communities continue to face frequent attacks despite assurances by the state government and security agencies that security operations have been intensified. Residents are now calling for urgent and sustained intervention to halt the killings.
