Tragedy struck the Olegabulu community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State on Thursday night as gunmen stormed the palace of a traditional ruler, killing him, his wife, their son, and two other residents in a brazen attack that has plunged the community into mourning.
Residents said the assailants, believed to be four in number, arrived on two motorcycles and moved into the area without raising suspicion before launching the deadly attack.
Eyewitnesses disclosed that the gunmen went straight to the monarch’s palace where they opened fire, killing the traditional ruler, his wife, and their son instantly.
A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers later moved to a nearby compound where they killed two more people before fleeing the community.
“They rode into the community without raising suspicion and went straight to the palace where they shot the monarch, his wife, and son dead,” the source said.
Another witness noted that the attackers appeared familiar with the area and initially disguised themselves by interacting freely with locals.
“The attackers were not Fulani. When they arrived, they interacted freely with people in our dialect, so no one suspected that they were enemies. But immediately they entered the traditional ruler’s house, they opened fire and people started running for safety. They operated for about 20 minutes. After attacking the monarch’s residence, they moved to a nearby house and killed two more people. One person was injured before they fled,” the witness recounted.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, Melvin Ejeh, said five persons were killed while one other sustained injuries during the attack.
“It is true the incident happened. Five people were killed and one person was injured during the attack,” Ejeh said, adding that security operatives, including police personnel, had since visited the scene and commenced investigations.
When contacted, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had yet to receive full details of the incident.
The latest attack has heightened fears among residents of Agatu, a community that has witnessed repeated violent incidents in recent years.
