A family of seven and 38 people were killed when rival militia gangs clashed in the Gbagir town of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State.
Locals say the incident on Tuesday sent shivers down the spines of those who witnessed it.
They said that the majority of the slain victims were members of alleged local militias fighting for supremacy.
Unfortunately, twelve innocent farmers were caught up in the crossfire between the two gangs.
According to residents who left the area, many individuals were injured, and some are still missing as of Wednesday morning.
A monarch in the area, who did not want to be identified, told newsmen in Makurdi that trouble began on Tuesday morning when a Benue militia leader in Ukum LGA allegedly kidnapped another Taraba militia leader, Alhaji Gana, and his family members, who were known for banditry and kidnappings, from Taraba State’s neighbouring Chinkai community in Wukari LGA.
The traditional ruler claimed that after kidnapping the victims, a ransom demand of 100 million was made, but only N5 million was paid.
He alleged that “After collecting the money, the kidnapper killed the hostages. The murder of the hostages sparked outrage among his gang members in Taraba State. This happened over the weekend.
“What followed was that another militia gang leader in Ukum now went and joined forces with the militia gang in Taraba to help them eliminate the rival gang in Ukum that killed their leader, Alhaji Gana.
Meanwhile, a senior military source who confirmed the killings in Ukum said it was a clash between two militia groups, stressing that the villagers knew those carrying out the dastardly act but were shielding them.
He said several dead bodies were recovered but refused to mention any figure, adding, “These are militia men killing themselves. Yes, we acknowledge that probably one or two people may have been caught in the crossfire but the majority of the people that were killed are members of the militia gangs in the area.”
On his part, the State Police Commissioner, Emmanuel Adesina, told newsmen in Makurdi, that more officers had been deployed in the area as he confirmed five corpses had been recovered so far.
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