About 25 persons have been killed by yet-to-be-identified gunmen in the Imande Mbakange Community of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.

Condemning the incident in a statement, the Chairman of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Atera Alfred, said the attack took place in the early hours of Saturday.

The statement, signed by his media aide, Tsar Tartor, reads in part, “The Honourable Chairman of Katsina-Ala Local Government, Atera Alfred, condemns the early hours of Saturday’s attack on the Imande Mbakange community and other neighbouring communities in Mbacher Council Ward, by unknown gunmen, which claimed more than 25 lives, left several others injured, and burned houses with properties worth millions.

Atera described the senseless killings by the unknown gunmen as inhuman and barbaric and calls on all security formations to double their efforts in combating the renewed attacks as a matter of urgency.

The chairman called on security operatives to intensify surveillance in the areas prone to attacks, to avert a further breakdown of law within the local government.

families of the victims, promising to continue to support and implement every lawful means, to permanently end the senseless killings of innocent people in Katsina-Ala Local Government, and all its inhabitants