No fewer than nine persons, including the younger brother of the Guma Local Government Area Chairman of Benue State, traders, and church attendees were feared dead in three days of fresh attacks on communities in Guma LGA of the state by suspected armed herdsmen.

However, the Benue State Police Command claimed that only four persons were killed.

Chairman of the Council, Mr Caleb Aba, who made this known, yesterday in a telephone interview said the armed herders attacked three different places and communities which started last weekend, including the kidnapped of his younger brother while on his way to the farm with four others.

Aba said: “On Friday last week, my younger brother went to the farm with four others in the outskirts of Gbajimba town, the Guma LGA to harvest rice when the attackers ambushed them on the farm. The other four ran and were not caught but he is the youngest among them and could not escape. They caught him.

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“I have been following it until this morning when I learned he was killed. We have not recovered the body.

“Also, on Sunday evening which was Gbajimba market day, the NKST church had their holy communion; so those who were coming from the church and those leaving the market were attacked by the armed herdsmen. Four people were killed and several others sustained injuries. They are presently receiving treatment in Gbajimba and the Air Force Base hospital in Makurdi.

“On Monday morning, they also invaded Ulever community and four people were killed in that attack,” adding that security personnel had been alerted over the developmen.

Contacted,  Benue Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, confirmed that four people were killed while others sustained injuries.

She said: “Four people were killed in the attack while others sustained injuries. The scenes have been visited by the Commissioner of Police and an investigation is in progress. The commissioner also visited General Hospital Gbajimba to see the injured persons who were responding to treatment.”