The Benue State Police Command has dismissed social media claims that herdsmen attacked Wannue Town in the Tarka Local Government Area on the night of Friday, June 21.
The Command gave this clarification following viral online posts alleging that a group of herdsmen had launched a deadly assault on the quiet community.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, noted that these reports were entirely false and misleading.
“The incident that occurred in Wannue was not a herdsmen attack,” Edet said. “It was a criminal act committed by an individual, not a group of armed herdsmen as being wrongly spread on social media.”
The report stated that around 8:00 p.m. on Friday, the police received a distress call indicating that a man, identified as Aondohemba Yayough, had been shot dead along Akume Road in Wannue. Responding swiftly, a team of detectives was deployed to the area.
Witnesses at the scene told police that the shooter was one Saater Aii, an ex-convict already known to residents. According to the police, local security personnel were able to disarm the attacker, but he managed to escape before he could be arrested.
“Two other persons who were injured during the attack have been taken to a nearby hospital and are receiving medical care,” Edet noted. She added that the police recovered an AK-47 rifle believed to have been used in the assault.
Efforts are still ongoing to track down the fleeing suspect. Meanwhile, police have urged the public to avoid sharing false reports and to rely on verified information from official sources.
“No herdsmen were seen or reported in connection with the attack,” Edet stated. “The public should ignore these claims and remain calm as the police continue the investigation.”
