By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Troops of the joint military operation covering Benue, Nasarawa and Taraba states, code-named Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, early Thursday uncovered the camp of armed herdsmen located on the boundary between Benue and Nasarawa states around Keana Local Government Area, LGA, and Guma LGA, killing two in the ensuing gunfight.

Troops of the joint states around Keana Local Government Area, LGA, and Guma LGA, killing two in the ensuing gunfight.

The troops also recovered two AK47 rifles with 25 rounds of 7.62 special ammunition from the armed men.

Vanguard gathered from a source in the area that the armed herdsmen had earlier on Wednesday, invaded Tse-Torkula community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue state injuring two persons.

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He said “it was about 6 pm on Wednesday evening that we suddenly started hearing sounds of gunshots in our community Tse-Torkula. Some of the security personnel around the area were alerted and they immediately moved towards the direction where the gunshots were coming from.

“We also alerted troops of the OPWS who are stationed at neighboring Umenger and Ukaa communities but before they got there the armed herders had fled back to their camp located on the fringes of Keana LGA in Nasarawa state bordering Benue.

“The troops went after the invaders searching for them till early hours of this (Thursday) morning when they stormed into the hidden camp and a gunfight ensued and we all fled to Umenger for safety.

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“When the fight died down we saw that the soldiers had two dead bodies of our attackers and their guns in their vehicle heading towards Daudu,” he added.

Meanwhile, a security personnel who spoke on condition of anonymity told Vanguard that the troops, aside from killing two of the armed men and recovering two AK47 riffles with 25 rounds of 7.62 special ammunition, the camp was also destroyed.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Field Commander of OPWS, Maj. Gen. Adeyemi Yekini failed as he neither picked his calls nor responded to text messages sent to his phone.

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent, DSP, Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive details of the attack.

Vanguard