No fewer than eleven corpses were reportedly counted in Waya, a community in Jato-Aka of Turan council ward of Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday morning.
The locals were reportedly hacked to death in their farms by unknown assailants suspected to be bandits.
The attack, Naija News learnt happened on Thursday night and a family of five alongside six other people were silently killed in the process.
Reports had it that the locals were working at their various farms when they were hacked to death by the criminals.
However, the search for their bodies began at night and 11 corpses were recovered as of Friday morning.
Daily Trust reports that the villagers got to know of the incident when relatives started raising alarm over the whereabouts of their loved ones who went to the farms and did not return.
The locals added that a search party for the missing people immediately went to the various farms only to discover dead bodies in different locations.
“So far, 11 corpses had been recovered. They include a whole family – a man, his wife and three children, including a toddler, in one farm – while the remaining six persons were found on different farms.
“As we speak, a search is still ongoing for more missing persons and there are indications that more bodies would be found,” a villager told reporters.
Names of some of the recovered bodies were revealed as; Gbaeren Orsoo, Terdoo Tsega, Bemdoo Tsega, Abacha Tsega, Terkaa Tsega, Aôndoaseer Tyov, Iorhen Atim and Aôndowase Igba among others.
Naija News learnt that there bodies were found mutilated at different locations.
Confirming the horror incident, Chairman of Kwande LGA, Mrs. Tartor Chianson, told journalists that she confirmed the recovery of eight corpse before she left the area for Makurdi to report the incident.
Speaking to newsmen via a telephone, Chianson, said the slain victims have been deposited in the morgue while troops of Operation While Stroke (OPWS) are still combing the bush for more recoveries.
The chairman, however, expressed worry that there might be more corpses in the bush yet to be recovered following complaints of missing persons by their relatives.
She said: “My people went to the farm on Thursday because it rained on Wednesday night so they went to the farm to prepare the land for planting and they were ambushed and killed differently in their farms at Waya community close to Anwase.
“The attackers came few days ago, and set a lot of houses ablaze, they also kidnapped some other persons, took away their machines and later brought their mutilated bodies and dumped. All that they are doing is just to collect our ancestral homes as I speak with you five council wards are under siege, they include Mbachura, Kumakwagh, Yaav, Moon and Mbaikyur.
“Over 50 persons have lost their lives in the area in the last three months,” the chairman explained.
Meanwhile, the Benue Command Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Catherine Anene, could not be reached for comments.
This article was originally published on Nigeria News