Thousands mourned the death of the victims in Makurdi on Thursday.
The Benue State government conducted a mass burial ceremony for the victims of the savage attacks staged by Fulani herdsmen in the state on Thursday, January 11, 2018.
After several attacks in just the opening week of 2018 resulted in the death of at least 71 people in the state, Governor Samuel Ortom had ordered three days of mourning that started on Tuesday, January 9.
At the conclusion of the period of mourning on Thursday, the government held a memorial service in honour of all the victims at the IBB Square in Makurdi, the state capital.
Families of the victims and hundreds of mourners, with most donning black attires, attended the memorial service amid a lot of tears and anger at the attacks.
The memorial service was attended by Governor Ortom and other state government officials as well as others like the national chairman of the All Progressives' Congress (APC), John Odigie-Oyegun, former Benue governor, George Akume, and former Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa.
Benue attacks
In attacks allegedly carried out by Fulani herdsmen in Guma and Logo Local Government Area of Benue between Sunday, December 31, 2017, and Tuesday, January 2, 2018, 50 people were reportedly killed.
11 other people were killed in a fresh attack on Tombu village of Logo LGA, again by suspected Fulani herdsmen, on Saturday, January 6, 2018.
According to Governor Ortom's Chief Press Secretary, Terve Akase, the death toll for the attacks hit a total of 71 victims on Monday, January 8.
Police charge 6 to court
The Benue State Police Command arraigned six Fulani herdsmen who are suspected to be connected to the massacre of over a dozen people in Guma LGA on January 2.
The suspects were allegedly involved in the killing of 19 people in Akor village and were arraigned at a Chief Magistrate Court in Makurdi before Chief Magistrate Isaac Ajim on Friday, January 5.
Alongside the six already charged to court, the state's police command also arrested two suspects in Logo LGA on Wednesday, January 3.