No fewer than thirteen people have been sent to their early graves following a shoot-out that ensued between armed robbers and local vigilantes of Senga village in Kastina Ala local government area of Benue State.
According to reports, the vigilantes had mobilized to repel the attack of the criminals who had been terrorizing their communities in recent times.
Confirming the incident, the State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Moses Joel Yamu  said that a five-man gang headed by ‘Ghana’, a man who was declared wanted with N5 million reward placed on him, had on Wednesday gone to rob at Senga village, an interior part of Katsina Ala LGA
According to Yamu, an irate mob had lynched two of the robbers, one of who was later identified by his alias as Chemical, and a lady harbouring them were killed while the other three escaped to Gbishe village, where Ghana hails from and mobilized for reprisal.
The Police PROÂ said the robbers who on return for reprisal could not gain access to Senga because the youths of the village had mobilized to protect their area, anchored at a neighbouring Kenvenger village, from where they shot and killed 10 people, including one Terseer Akaya, a driver from Katsina-Ala who went to convey farm produce.
Yamu added that an eight-month old baby and an eight year old child with their mothers and six others were killed in the process while five other persons injured were rushed to the hospital.
The police spokesman has appealed for calm, saying that security operatives had been deployed to patrol the area to prevent further breach of peace.
