9 Die as commuter bus is attacked

Unconfirmed reports reaching us indicates that about 9 commuters where yesterday killed as a commuter bus conveying 13 passengers from Gbajimba in Guma local government area of Benue state capital was ambushed at Ajir village by suspected Fulani herdsmen, as at the time of filing this report, it was not certain if this nine people were either dead or still in hiding.

It was gathered that �the occupants who were mostly native Tiv farmers were traveling to Makurdi from Gbajimba at about mid-day yesterday when the heavily armed herdsmen waylaid and opened fire on them, killing at least two on the spot, four of the passengers managed to escape while seven others were chased into the bush by the assailants. This new incident has left all commuters traveling to and out of Gbajimba stranded as commercial motor operators have refused to travel that route.

�Our fear at the moment is that those that were chased into the bush might have been killed because no one knows their whereabouts and their families are yet to trace them.

�The search for them is still continuing but we are scared that they might have been killed because if they are still alive, we would have seen at least one of them, �exclaimed a witness.

The Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Deputy Superintendent of Police Daniel Ezeala disclosed that the Benue state Commissioner of Police had directed an immediate investigation into the matter and that search for possible survivors would commence immediately. Superintendent Ezeala said that �The assailants killed one of the occupants on the spot after shooting sporadically into the bus, but our men later recovered another corpse in the bush but that security has already been beefed in the community,� he added.

Since the incident occurred yesterday, most inhabitants of the community (which is less than seven kilometers from the heart of Makurdi) have all started fleeing into Makurdi town for safety.

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