An attack on the Okokolo community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State has claimed the lives of at least four people, including two soldiers.
On Thursday, the soldiers were attacked while reacting to threats against numerous Agatu settlements.
According to witnesses, the attackers targeted military troops, killing two and critically injuring one.
The injured soldier was quickly sent to Makurdi for treatment, while another who sought sanctuary in the bush was rescued in a nearby community.
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Godwin Abuh Edoh, the Agatu people’s representative in the state House of Assembly, confirmed the incident, saying two persons were murdered and several others injured.
Edoh declined to provide specifics about the soldiers, citing a policy of not publicizing on military casualties.
Former Agatu politician Audu Sule confirmed the attacks on the community and the ambush of military forces responding to the incident.
As the attackers continued to shoot intermittently from across the River Ochekwu, inhabitants in Agatu LGA, including women and children, allegedly evacuated the settlements in anticipation of military reinforcements.
The spokesman for the Benue State Police Command, SP Catherine Anene, indicated that she had not been briefed on the occurrence.