16th September, 2016
A least 13 persons were reportedly killed by an armed robbery gang at Senga village in Katsina Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to Moses Joel Yamu, the spokesman for the Benue Police command, a five-man gang belonging to a wanted notorious criminal, Terwase Akwaza also known as Ghana, on Wednesday robbed at Senga village, an interior part of Katsina Ala LGA.
The attack came barely one month after the state governor, Samuel Ortom, placed a N5m bounty on Akwaza, an ex-amnesty boss.
According to Yamu, an irate mob had overpowered the bandits and lynched two of them – a lady and one other later identified as “Chemical”.
Three others escaped to Gbishe village, where Ghana hails from and mobilized for reprisal.
The police spokesman added that the robbers on reprisal, however, could not gain access to Senga because youths of the village had mobilized to protect their area.
He explained further that the robbers diverted to a neighbouring Kenvenger village, which was next to Senga, where they shot and killed ten people including one Terseer Akaya, a driver from Katsina-Ala who went to convey farm produce.
Yamu added that an eight-month-old baby, an eight-year-old child, their mothers and six others were killed in the process while five other persons injured were rushed to the hospital.
The victims are receiving medical attention at NKST Hospital at Kera in Katsina-Ala LGA.
Yamu added that the state command had since deployed officers to the area to curb the situation.