Gunmen suspected to be cult groups have reportedly killed 27 people within two days after invading Tse- Anule, Chito and Tse- Akosu communities in Ukum local government area of Benue State.

DDAILY ASSET gathered that the gang groups carried out acts on Saturday and early hours of Sunday.

At Tse- Anule, it was learned that the cult boys stormed the area with motorcycles and after killing people, went and mounted roadblocks along Sankara and Ayati, robbed people for several hours.

Eye witness from the axis told DAILY ASSET that the armed group came with different guns and ammunition and ordered all the villagers who were relaxing under the mango tree to lie facedown.

The source further said immediately the victims obliged and lied facedown, they opened fire on them, killing five of the defenceless people.

According to the source, who didn’t want his name mentioned in print, the armed men thereafter proceeded to mount roadblocks along Sankara and Ayati road and robbed many people of their belongings for several hours.

Recall that not more than 22 persons were also reportedly killed in Chito and Tyo Akosu communities of the same Ukum Local Government Area of the state as a result of a rival gang fight and attack on a drinking spot, bringing the total number of casualties to 27.

The fight was said to be between the notorious criminals armed groups known as “Chain Gang” and “Full Fire” which left about 15 able men dead, while several others sustained various degrees of gun injuries.

One of the sources stated that the killings at Tyo Akosu settlement was perpetrated by unknown armed men who also stormed a drinking spot in the village and opened fire on unsuspecting customers at the bar.

He said he could not readily confirm if the attack at Tyo Akosu was an extension of the Chito fight but noted that the suspicion among the locals was that the supremacy fight was fast spreading in the communities of the LGA.

Another source explained that, “it all started Friday afternoon during a fight for supremacy between kingpins of crime in Ukum LGA. They are known as Chain and Full Fire gangs with their operational base located in the LGA.

“Both of them are looking for each other’s necks. Full FIre employed the services of another banditry group to help kill the Chain gang who got wind of the plan and laid ambush for them.  

“They opened fire and killed all of them. Some persons claimed that 10 persons were killed in the bloody fight while others said they counted 15 bodies.

“But it was an internal fight for supremacy among gangs and not a communal crisis. In fact the locals ran away because they feared for their lives. They feared that in the course of the reprisal, they might be affected despite being innocent.”

“Ukum has become a hotbed of killings, we are all living in fear as we speak because we cannot tell who is who among our local boys,” he said.

When contacted, the Benue State Command Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene said she was yet to receive information on the incidents