Benue: 15 killed as two rival bandit groups engage in supremacy battle

A supremacy battle that ensued between two rival bandit groups in the Chito community of Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State has led to the death of no fewer than 15 people at the weekend.

According to sources, members of the two factional bandit groups identified as Chain and Full Force, who were fully armed, engaged in a free-for-all with the aim of exercising authority.

A source in the community, who spoke to journalists on the phone on Sunday, said that the Full Force group engaged the services of another group to help eliminate the leader of the Chain group.

“It’s a fight of supremacy, the kingpins on that side of Ukum LGA, Chain and Full Force, wanted their operational head eliminated.

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“Both of them were at each other’s necks. Full Force employed the services of another banditry group to help kill the leader of Chain bandit gang, unfortunately, we learnt that he got wind of the plan and laid an ambush for them.

“They opened fire and killed all of them. Some said they were 10 while others said they were 15 in number. It was an internal fight for supremacy.

“The locals ran away because they were afraid of reprisal. The villagers feared that in the course of reprisal, they might be affected despite being innocent”, the local source said.

Ripples Nigeria reports that Ukum LGA had been a flashpoint of banditry in recent times with reports of killings, kidnappings and maiming of innocent people nearly every other day.

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