By Ezinwanne Onwuka
Grief descended on Otukpo and Ukum counties in Benue State after machete-wielding Fulani jihadists killed 12 Christians, including a four-year-old. A soldier died from gunshot wounds sustained during an operation to rescue abducted persons in Niger State, while a mobile police officer was among four killed in Plateau State.
Fulani Ethnic Militia Kill 12 in Benue
Fulani jihadists attacked two Christian communities in Benue State, killing at least 12 residents, including a young child.
The first assault struck Omulonye, in Otukpo County, on Wednesday night, October 7. Two nights later, on Friday, October 9, gunmen attacked Tse-Biliji in Ukum County.
The attack on Omulonye, in the Ugboju district of Otukpo County, began between approximately 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. Wednesday.
The assailants entered the community and attacked residents with machetes.
Initial reports put the death toll at two. However, Vanguard reported that three people were killed, identifying one victim as a 4-year-old boy.
The boy’s uncle was also killed, while his mother reportedly sustained serious injuries.
On Friday, October 9, nine persons were killed in Tse-Biliji, Mbatian Precinct, in Ukum County (see related story today by TruthNigeria’s Ekani Olikita).
Residents told TruthNigeria that approximately 30 armed Fulani ethnic militia members arrived on motorcycles and attacked Tse-Biliji between 7:01 p.m. and 7:41 p.m.
The assailants reportedly moved from house to house, attacking residents with machetes. People who fled into the surrounding bush were also pursued and attacked, residents said.
Oraduen Andy, a resident who said he witnessed the assault while hiding in an unfinished building, told TruthNigeria that the attackers spoke Fulfulde and chanted “Allahu Akbar” during the killings.
“Nine of our people were killed, but we have confirmed six dead bodies so far,” Andy said, adding that seven people with life-threatening injuries had been evacuated to Zaki-Biam for medical treatment.
Andy alleged that the attackers had come from neighboring Taraba and Nasarawa states.
Plateau Attacks Leave 4 Dead
Terrorists killed a police officer and two miners and wounded a farmer in a series of attacks across Plateau State on Thursday and Friday, October 8 and 9.
At about 1pm Thursday, troops responded to reports that Babangida Atah, a farmer, had been attacked with a machete in Rafi Katako village, Bassa County.
The attackers had fled before soldiers arrived, and troops evacuated Atah to a nearby hospital.
Later that afternoon, gunmen blocked the Manja–Mpili road in Mangu County and killed a local identified as Zubairu Danirai as he returned from a market.
At about 6:51 p.m., gunmen attacked Corporal Abdulrahman Auwal, a Mobile Police officer, along Kwi Road in Barkin Ladi County, inflicting multiple machete wounds.
Troops found him seriously injured, and his colleagues rushed him to a hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.
On Friday afternoon, October 9, gunmen killed two miners, John Mafulu and Ezikiel Yohanna, in Kazok village, also in Barkin Ladi County.
ISWAP, Lakurawa Fighters Attack Military Bases
At nightfall on Tuesday, October 6, Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters attacked a military base in Kukawa, Borno State, advancing from four directions in an apparent attempt to overrun the position.
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 101 Special Forces Battalion fought back with support from the military’s air component.
After more than two hours of fighting, the soldiers repelled the attackers. Security sources told conflict reporter Zagazola Makama that more than 25 ISWAP fighters were killed.
Troops recovered 14 bodies and six AK-47 rifles from the battlefield. The military also suffered casualties, although a complete count had not been released.
The following morning, Wednesday, October 7, Lakurawa terrorists attacked Forward Operating Base Maiyama in Kebbi State.
The terrorists arrived on more than 100 motorcycles, carrying machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, and attempted to overrun the military position.
Troops from Sector 2 of Operation Fansan Yamma held their ground and returned fire, forcing the attackers to retreat.
Soldiers later recovered 17 abandoned motorcycles, a machine gun, an AK-47 rifle, ammunition, and communication radios.
While several attackers are said to have died in the fighting, there was no confirmed death toll as of press time.
Three Cocoa Institute Employees Abducted
Gunmen abducted three employees of the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN) in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Friday, October 9, while they inspected crops on a farm within the institute’s premises.
Police spokesman Olayinka Ayanlade confirmed the abduction and said the command had launched a rescue operation.
Authorities had not publicly identified the victims or disclosed whether the kidnappers had demanded a ransom.
This is not the first time employees of the institute have been targeted.
In March, gunmen abducted three members of the Cocoa Farmers Association of Nigeria at CRIN’s nursery site. Two CRIN employees were also kidnapped from the premises of the federal agency in May. The farmers were later released after a reported ransom payment.
Troops Rescue 84 Captives
In Niger State, Nigerian troops rescued 84 residents held captive by terrorists after a gun battle along a major road.
Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 18 Brigade launched an operation along the Tegina–Garin Gabas–Zungeru road in Rafi County after receiving intelligence that terrorists were moving around Kwange village on approximately 300 motorcycles.
Operating under Operation Savannah Shield, the soldiers established blocking positions along the route. But the terrorists ambushed them at Kwanan Barau, triggering a gun battle.
During the encounter, the troops rescued 84 residents whom the attackers had held at Kundu village and killed one terrorist.
Two soldiers sustained gunshot wounds. One died while being evacuated to the Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna.
NYSC Abductees Freed, But Families Say Ransom Was Paid
Twenty prospective members of Nigeria’s National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) were released on Wednesday, October 7, six days after gunmen abducted them on their way to orientation camps.
But while police credit a joint security operation for their freedom, some families say they paid millions of naira in ransom.
The fresh college graduates were traveling in two buses from Ibadan, Oyo State, to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states when gunmen intercepted them along the Owerri–Onitsha road near Umunoha in Imo State on Thursday, October 1, and took them into a nearby forest.
On Wednesday, October 7, police spokesman Ani Iniedu announced that security agencies had rescued the victims. But relatives of some of the victims dispute the police account.
According to the parent of one of the victims, ₦6 million was pooled through contributions, donations, and loans to secure her son’s freedom. The money was converted into U.S. dollars as demanded by the kidnappers.
Imo State Commissioner of Police Audu Bosso, however, said he was unaware of any ransom payment.
In an interview with Channels Television, Bosso attributed the release to a sustained joint search-and-rescue operation involving the police, military, Department of State Services, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Bosso said security personnel combed the Amakohia-Ubi forest in Owerri West Local Government Area, putting pressure on the kidnappers.
Ezinwanne Onwuka is a conflict reporter for TruthNigeria.
