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Twenty-five victims of Thursday\u2019s attack on Agojeju-Odo community, in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State, were buried on Saturday.<\/p>\n

District Head and Ochala Onu-Ife Bagaji Odo, Chief David Akpa told newsmen in his palace that those buried include two women and four children.<\/p>\n

He described the attack as barbaric and wicked given the way the bandits unleashed mayhem on his people.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are mourning our loved ones who were killed in cold blood. We have never had any misunderstanding either with bandits or with herdsmen before now.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs it is now, we are living in fear, moreso after we heard that they are coming to Bagaji Odo, where surviving victims are taking refuge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are pleading with the federal and state governments to come to our aid and protect us from bandits,\u2019\u2019 he pleaded.<\/p>\n

Akpa explained that Thursday\u2019s attack was the second in the year.<\/p>\n

A community member had alleged on Thursday that a running battle between militia groups in parts of Benue and some bandits led to the onslaught on the sleepy towns of Agojeju-Odo, Ajokpachi-Odo, Bagaji and environs.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey destroyed farm produce with ease in an attempt to draw the communities into the conflict,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Retired Commodore Jerry Omodara, Special Adviser on Security to Governor Usman Ododo, said on Friday that the governor had ordered a thorough investigation of the incident.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe killing of innocent and harmless residents of the community by alleged hired militiamen is very callous, unacceptable and condemnable,\u2019\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Omodara said property, especially houses, vehicles, and crops, were destroyed in the attack.<\/p>\n

He called on people of Agojeju-Odo and neighbouring communities to remain calm as government and security agencies were on top of the situation.<\/p>\n

Police spokesman in Kogi, SP Williams Ovye-Aya, also confirmed the attack and assured that security operatives were keeping vigil over the community to forestall further attacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cA tactical response team of the police, the military, and members of vigilance groups has been deployed in the area. Normalcy has since returned to the troubled community.<\/p>\n

\u201cInvestigation into the incident has started to bring the perpetrators to book,\u2019\u2019 Ovye-Aya assured.<\/p>\n

Kogi community buries 25 victims of suspected herdsmen attack<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Twenty-five victims of Thursday\u2019s attack on Agojeju-Odo community, in Omala Local Government Area of Kogi State, were buried on Saturday.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25888,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[452,15],"tags":[119,180],"class_list":["post-25887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-kogi","category-news","tag-kogi","tag-news"],"yoast_head":"\n