On Friday night, bad people thought to be bandits attacked a small town called Mbacher in Benue State, Nigeria. During this attack, they killed 18 people.
People from the town said the attack happened around 11:00 pm, even though there was a curfew. A curfew is when people are not allowed outside after a certain time. The state had said no one should be outside from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am.
The bandits tricked the villagers by pretending they wanted to talk to them. But then, they started shooting.
Two weeks earlier, the governor of Benue State, named Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, had told people to stay inside after 6:00 pm. This was because people were protesting and causing trouble in a place called Ukum. The trouble was happening in areas called Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo.
On Saturday morning, soldiers found 18 dead bodies.
The leader of Katsina-Ala, named Justine Shaku, said the bandits left before the military got there.
“At about 11:00 pm last night, the villagers called for help. They said some bad people were making them come out of their houses,” Shaku said.
“I asked the soldiers in a place called Tor Doonga for help, but the attack happened far away. By the time the soldiers arrived, it was too late,” Shaku explained.
Shaku also shared that many people got hurt in the attack.
“I first heard 17 people were dead, but now it’s 18. They made everyone gather in one place and then killed them,” he added.
Shaku called this attack “local terrorism” because it was similar to a type of fighting called guerrilla warfare. This means small groups attack quickly and then hide.
“I don’t call them bandits anymore because their actions look like terrorism. They are terrorists from our own area, though they have help from outside,” Shaku explained.
They tried to call Catherine Anene from the police, but she didn’t answer her phone.
However, Joseph Har, who helps the governor with security, confirmed that the attack happened.