24 people were killed on Saturday when armed men entered the Zaki Akpuuna 1 and Diom communities in the Mbaterem district of the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
One of the three hotspots in the Sankera axis is Ukum, where bandits who are thought to be affiliated with the dead Terwase Akwaza, aka Gana’s gang, rule. Logo and Katsina Ala are two additional hotspots.

On Saturday around 8am, the gunmen reportedly broke into the sleepy communities.

Locals claim that the attackers set fire to several homes in nearby villages.

24 people were killed in the bandit attack on Zaki Akpuuna, according to a native.

“You know that the three local government areas in the Sankera axis had been under these local bandits for a long time headed by Gana, and since he was killed, his men have divided and are controlled by different leaders,” the local said.

“Although the exact reason for the attack is unknown, the information we have so far indicates that about 20 gunmen invaded the villages of Akpuuna and other locations in the Ukum LGA, where they killed numerous people and set a number of homes on fire. At least 24 bodies have been found, and efforts are still being made to locate the missing.

Mr. Kartyo Tyoumbur, the council chairman, confirmed that 24 bodies had been found in the two attacked villages.

“I learned that they went to Tine-Nune community on Zaki Biam-Wukari Road, where the military confronted them,” he said, “after they attacked Akpuuna and Diom.”

Nobody knows how many of them were killed, but I think that exchange must have neutralized some of them.

The chairman, who condemned the attack, claimed nobody was aware of its purpose.

The attack was confirmed in a statement released on Saturday by SP Catherine Anene, the state police public relations officer.

When police teams learned of this information, they immediately rushed to the scene in coordination with other security agencies and engaged the bandits, who were ultimately driven from the area.

Eight bodies were found at the scene, and numerous other injured people were taken there for medical attention. The area is still under operation.

The Operation Whirl Stroke spokesperson, Flt Lt. D.O. Oquah, could not be reached because his cell phone did not connect.

Rest in peace