The Catholic Diocese of Makurdi has confirmed the killing of two of its priests, Rev Fathers Joseph Gor and Felix Tyolaha, in an early hour attack on St Ignatius Quasi Parish, Ukpor, Mbalom in Gwer West Local Government Council of Benue.
A statement by its Director of Communications, Rev Fr Moses Iorapuu, said that the attacks were perpetrated by herdsmen who stormed the Mbalom community and killed the two priests during the morning mass at the church.
The Diocese expressed regret at the nonchalant attitude of the security agencies in containing the killings.
It said the herdsmen, who stormed the community, burnt down houses, destroyed crops and killed people.
The church, therefore, urged the relevant authorities to stop the killings in the Benue valley.
Iorapuu said the Diocese had been active in providing food and relief materials to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) since the onset of hostilities in the state and wondered why it could be marked as a target of attacks.
“The attacks on the priests is an attack on everything that we ever stood for and believed in.”
The Police Command in Benue later confirmed the killing of 16 people, including the two Catholic priests, in fresh attacks on Mbalon community in Gwer Local Government Area.
Mr Fatai Owoseni, its commissioner, told newsmen on Tuesday in Makurdi that unknown gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, opened fire on Catholic worshipers during morning Mass on Tuesday.
“The worshipers were attacked around 5 a.m. during morning Mass.
“Other victims were killed during a burial ceremony later in the day,” he said.
Fatai, who described the attacks as “unfortunate”, vowed to fish out the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
He said that preliminary investigation had revealed that the herdsmen had stayed around the area for some time before carrying out the attacks.
The commissioner said that more Police personnel had been deployed to the area to forestall further attacks.