Olusegun ARIYO
Suspected armed herdsmen on Friday afternoon attacked Anwase Market in Mbaikyor, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, kidnapping several market women and setting the market ablaze.
Witnesses said the attackers invaded the community from a nearby mountain, firing sporadically to cause panic before setting stalls on fire and abducting women.
Checks reveal the assailants whisked their victims away towards the mountainous area before security agencies arrived at the scene.
An eyewitness told our correspondent that the market was already engulfed in flames by the time residents could organise a response, adding that many traders fled in different directions to escape the attack.
Meanwhile, several calls and messages to the Benue state police PRO were unsuccessful.
