- Some gunmen were reported to have attacked mourners at Okokolo in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to a resident of the area and one-time supervisory councillor in Agatu LG, John Ikwulono, the gunmen in the late hours of Tuesday stormed Okokolo at the time people were mourning the death of Mrs George Ikwulono aka Ene Lucky and shot indiscriminately as people ran helter-skelter.
The incident was said to have created tension in the area as mourners scampered for safety. However, no casualty was recorded.
Ikwulono said, “some yet to be identified gunmen on Tuesday night around 10pm attacked Okokolo when residents were at the burial of their loved one, late Mrs George Ikwulono and shot indiscriminately causing tension in the community.
The caretaker chairman of the local government, Usman Aliu, who confirmed the incident to newsmen described the action as ‘barbaric and inhuman”, stating that empty shells from used bullet were found at the scene of the attack when he visited the community.
He said, “It is barbaric and inhuman for anyone to visit people who were mourning their loved ones to go and attack them and shoot indiscriminately.
“This attack is coming when government had made frantic efforts to restore peace to Agatu.”
While appealing to the security operatives to help in fishing out the attackers, the chairman also called on youths in the area to remain calm and not to take laws into their hands.
When contacted, the Field Commander, Operation Whirl Stroke, Major General Adeyemi Yekini, said that he was yet to receive reports of the attack on the Okokolo community.
He said “I have not received any report that gunmen attacked any community in Agatu Local Government but our men are still there.
Also, the command spokesperson, DSP, Catherine Anene, said there was no report of an attack on the Okokolo community in Agatu in the command.
