Armed men suspected to be herders have reportedly attacked a Benue Links commercial bus, a truck and commercial motorcycle operators at Tyolaha village, Gwer West Local Government Area, LGA, of the state, killing three persons while some others are unaccounted for.

However the State Police Command claimed that one life was lost in the incident.

It was gathered from a driver in the company who preferred anonymity that the ill fated 18 seater bus was yesterday conveying passengers from Makurdi to Otukpo through Naka in Gwer West LGA when they ran into an ambush by the heavily armed herders.

He said: “We learnt the incident occurred around the evening of yesterday when the passenger where travelling from Makurdi to Otukpo through Naka, Gwer West LGA.

“When the heavily armed herders, who have been terrorising that part of the state ambushed the vehicle including and two okada riders and a truck driver around Tyolaha village and opened fire on them.

“The truck driver was lucky, he saw them early enough and jumped into the bush but his assistant was not so lucky.

“We learnt three persons including the okada riders were killed, some sustained injuries while some have been declared missing and nobody knows their whereabouts.

“The attack on travellers on that particular axis has become a regular occurrence. Several road users have suffered attacks on that road including the Naka DPO who also lost his life there earlier in the year.

“Most commuters ply the road, though manageable, to and from Otukpo to Makurdi because of the sorry state of the Makurdi-Aliade-Otukpo road which is in a deplorable condition.

“We are appealing to the Federal Government to do something about the state of federal roads connecting Benue state and the South Eastern part of the country particularly those linking Otukpo. They are all in a sorry state and travellers on the roads are no longer safe.

Confirming that attack the Police Public Relations Officer, Superintendent, SP, Catherine Anene said the victims “were driving towards Naka around 8pm when some armed men came out of the bush and attacked their bus. Three people were injured, and there was intervention so they didn’t kill them instantly as they intended to.

“They were taken to the hospital for treatment but one of them died in the hospital; the investigation is ongoing.” (Saturday Vanguard)

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