The Turan Community in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, attacked on Christmas day by armed bandit suspected to be marauding herdsmen have raised the alarm over the news making the round of another planned attack on their communities on new year day.
This is just as a Seven year old girl Ishughun Tyohemba whose father Terhemba Tyohemba was matched to death by the marauding herdsmen and his daughter Ishughun who was abducted alongside other children suddenly return with one of her left hand amputated.
On sighting the little Ishughun who was in pain during the visit of the State Security Council alongside the executive secretary of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) sir James Iorapuu who broke into tears directed one of the drivers to take the Child to the General Hospital Adikpo for better treatment and care
The Mbaikyor youths leader Igbawua Gandepuun who spoke with our correspondent in a telephone conversation after the visit said “we heard from grapevine that the bandits are planning another attack on our communities on new year day and we want to draw the attention of the Benue State Government”
According to him, “people are fleeing the communities in droves because it was the same rumour we got and we informed the security agencies posted here, but they did not believe us and nothing was done till the herders came in their numbers and started shooting sporadically at anyone in sight.
“We are appealing to the Benue State Government to deploy more security to nib in the bud the alleged planned attack to build confidence in the minds of the community members to enable them come back and harvest their abandoned crops”
“Now is the time of harvesting and this communities are predominantly agrarian but as you can see, everybody is running for safety and abandoning their crops which the cattle are feeding on and some farms have been set ablaze by the herders”
Narrating their ordeal the elder brother to the slain Terhemba and the Uncle to the amputated Ishughun who identified himself as Keghter Tyohemba said we came back from the church and the women were cooking only and he went out of the house to greet a neighbour and suddenly heard gun shots from community members who were running into the bush for safety and I could not go back I also ran into the bush.
The operation which lasted over One hour left over 17 persons dead including my immediate younger brother Terhemba who was matcheted to death while his daughter Ishghuun was abducted alongside other children,only for us to see her yesterday in the bush while searching for the missing person with her left hand amputated by the herdsmen
Tyohemba said, “from October 2024 to date this is the Third time the herds men have attack their household, 5 of Uncles were killed alongside 3 of siblings, my Mother gave birth to 6 of us ana 3 are killed by the herdsmen we are now remaining 3.
Recalled that the Ter Kwande his Royal Highness Timothy Ahire attributed the sustained attacks on the Turan community to poor response and negligence to intelligence reports to the inadequate security agents posted to the area.
He said, “we had prior information about the planned attack by these terrorists on Christmas day and passed it to the security personnel here but they didn’t do anything”
