The murderous Fulani herdsmen have unleashed terror on three communities in Kogi State, particularly in Dekina and Omala local government areas, killing about 25 persons.
The communities attacked in Dekina include Oganenigu, Ojiapata, Iyale and Ojoo, while in Omala Obakume, Abejukolo, Agojeju-Ikpoba and Ogo were not spared.
The attacks were said to have left many missing as people in the affected and neighbouring communities fled to safety.
The invasion reportedly started midnight on Wednesday, when the armed herders entered Oganenigu through the waterway that led to the community.
The invaders were said to have come in boats and dressed in army uniform with sophisticated weapons, shooting, killing and burning peoples’ homes. The attackers allegedly spent a long time tormenting their victims.
Reports have it that some residents who managed to escape to neighbouring communities later suffered the same fate, as their assailants eventually attacked those other villages.
Seventeen people were reportedly killed in the attack on Oganenigu, while the remaining were victims of attacks on other communities.
Also in Omala, suspected herdsmen were said to have killed the vice-chairman of the local vigilante group in Abujokolo, Mr. Joshua Adejoh, while working on his farm.
Adejoh was said to have been macheted by the people who invaded his farm with their cows to graze when he resisted them.
The incident caused tension in the town, as youths quickly mobilized to resist the herdsmen invasion. In the process, the invaders reportedly retreated, leaving their cattle to wander about.
The deputy commissioner of police, Kogi State command, Mr. Monday Kuryas, could not immediately confirm the casualty figure, but hinted that policemen had been drafted to the affected areas, to restore order.