People from Tiv ethnic group in Benue now live in apprehension following resumed ethnic attacks by bandits, which led to 12 deaths within three days at Byepi village near Wukari.
One of the survivors of the recent onslaught, Mr Ezekiel Ajai, told The Punch that eight occupants of a vehicle he boarded from Zaki-Biam in Benue State to Jalingo in Taraba state were killed at Byepi village on Tuesday afternoon.
He stated, “Our vehicle was stopped by vehicle inspection officers on duty and metres away from where we were stopped, we met a roadblock by a militia group. The driver in an attempt to escape hit a motorcycle and the vehicle stopped.
“The militia gang identified some Tiv passengers in the vehicle and took them into the bush where they were killed.
“The gun-wielding youths also killed the driver for trying to escape,” he narrated.
Also speaking, Mrs. Lucy Msendoo, wife of Mr Nicholas Msendoo, who was killed in the attack, said she spoke with her husband as the gunmen were about to kill him.
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“My husband was on the road; having known that there was crisis in Wukari, I was talking to him regularly, especially when he got to Wukari. At a point, when I called, he told me to continue to pray for him.
“At that point, I knew all was not well with him. His voice was shaking as he managed to say ‘please continue to pray for me and do take care of our son.’
“From the background of our phone conversation, I heard some people wailing. I became so confused, I insisted he should tell me what was the problem, that was when someone else grabbed his phone and told me that my husband could not return to me, I should forget about him,” she narrated.
She added, “They returned the phone to him again and forced him to talk to me, then he said the situation with him was that he could not survive.
“Hours later, someone used my husband’s phone and called me again. He told me that my husband was killed in the bush and that if I have people who thought they were bold enough, they should go into the Byepi forest to find the body.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer also confirmed the death of David Misal, who said he was not aware of the incident, however, said another three persons were killed along the Jalingo -Wukari road at 6pm on Wednesday.