Gunmen have killed 17 people, including a police officer, in a brutal attack on a rural market in Abande, Turan district in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attack took place on Tuesday during the Abande market day when locals were engaged in trading.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers, believed to be armed bandits, opened fire indiscriminately on traders and residents, killing several people instantly.
In addition to the fatalities, shops were looted, with traders claiming that goods and cash worth over N150 million were stolen before the entire market was set ablaze.
Akerigba Lawrence, a former supervisory councillor in Kwande LGA, confirmed the attack, stating that by 11:55 pm on Tuesday, the bodies of some victims had been evacuated by the Mobile Police Force stationed in the area.
Among the confirmed dead were Iornunbe Agba, Chia Kile, Terseer Shenge, Mker Ugbe, Emmanuel Agba Ortswen, Gbinde, and the Mobile Police officer, who was the unit commander on duty at the time of the attack.
Lawrence also noted that several residents were still missing as of the latest reports.
The attack has intensified fears of insecurity in Turan and surrounding communities, which have suffered repeated violence over the past year.
The Abande community, located near Anwase — another area where more than 28 people were killed in a Christmas Day attack in 2024 has become a hotspot for such assaults.
