The attack left traders and residents traumatised, with properties destroyed and families searching for missing loved ones.
No fewer than 13 people were reportedly killed on Friday when gunmen suspected to be armed herders attacked Anwase Market in Mbaikyor, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, sparking panic and destruction in the community.
The assailants were said to have stormed the busy market, opened fire on civilians, abducted several market women, and set stalls and shops ablaze before fleeing the area.
The attack left traders and residents traumatised, with properties destroyed and families searching for missing loved ones.
Confirming the incident, an aide to the Kwande Local Government Chairman, Ibi Andrew, said 13 persons lost their lives during the assault, according to Channels TV.
He added that the council chairman, Vitalis Neji, in collaboration with security agencies, had moved to the area to restore calm and prevent further violence.
An eyewitness recounted that the attackers emerged from a nearby mountain, shooting sporadically as they descended on the market.
The gunfire reportedly caused residents and traders to flee in different directions before the attackers set several stalls on fire and forcefully took some women away, retreating towards the mountain.
As of Friday evening, the Benue State Police Command had yet to officially confirm the incident. Attempts to reach the police spokesperson, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to her phone were not returned.
The latest attack occurred barely two days after a similar assault on Abande community, also in Kwande Local Government Area, where at least 16 people were killed.
Residents said the Abande attack took place on Tuesday afternoon at the local market while traders and buyers were carrying out their activities.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers invaded the market, shot at civilians, looted shops, and set parts of the market on fire, leaving bodies scattered and properties destroyed.
A community leader and former supervisory councillor in Kwande LGA, Lawrence Akerigba, said the gunmen made away with millions of naira belonging to traders before torching the market.
He explained that the attack occurred on Abande market day, when the area was crowded with buyers and sellers.
Akerigba further disclosed that, in addition to local residents who were killed, a mobile police officer believed to be the unit commander on duty also lost his life during the attack.
He said that by about 11:55 p.m., some of the victims’ bodies were being evacuated to Jato-Aka by personnel of the Mobile Police Force stationed in the area.
He added that several residents were still missing and that search efforts were ongoing. Lamenting the repeated attacks, Akerigba said many people had been forced to flee their homes, spreading fear across Turan and neighbouring communities.
According to him, the continued assaults underscore the deteriorating security situation in the area, leaving residents with little sense of safety or assurance of protection.