Herdsmen invasion: Military warns Benue community against reprisal attack, lawlessness

…..as 4 Special forces, OPWS establishes new outpost in Benue

From Attah Ede,Makurdi

The joint military operations of 4 Special Forces Brigade and Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have jointly established a new outpost called Sector 1 Operation Whirl Stroke to strengthen security in Mbaikyaor, Mbalom in GwerEast LGA of Benue State.

The Nations News Nigeria reports that the establishment of the new military outpost was as a result of the invasion of the community by suspected herdsmen militias.

Recall that armed herders had recently attacked Mbaikyaor community in Mbalom council ward of Gwer East local government area of the State which resulted to the death of over 15 people, while several others sustained various degrees of injuries.

Speaking to newsmen shortly after his visit to the affected community at the weekend, the force Commander 4 Special Forces Brigade, Major General H. E. Nzan, warned members of the affected community against taking laws into their hands, saying that no matter the provocation, they should seek redress from the appropriate authority.

General Nzan maintained that the military has decided to bring its operations closer to the people by establishing a new outpost in the areas to give maximum assurance to the people of Mbalom that there is security around them.

He stressed that they have deemed it necessary to engaged the traditional rulers, elders and Youths of the community in an interactive session with the main aim of having the firsthand information and knowing the remote causes of the attack that have claimed over 15 lives with others seriously injured on the 7th Day of March, 2024.

He assured that the military operations would continue to show commitment and resilience at all times as exhibited by the Sector 1 Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) recently in the State.

“Our prompt intervention as soon as we got wind of the incident help to stop the further escalation of the crisis by the establishment of an outpost in the area.

“The establishment of the Sector 1 OPWS in the crisis area had brought about restoration of normalcy in the affected community with fleeing members of the community returning to their respective homes”, General Nzan maintained.