How gunmen killed Catholic priests and 17 worshipers

The people of Ayar-Mbalom village of Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State nigeria, had gathered at the St Ignatius Catholic church to bury their dead at about 5:00am on April 24, 2018, when gunmen who had been lurking in the bushes, swooped on them. In a flash, 19 people had been gunned down from point blank range.

The gunmen were later identified as herdsmen.

“They first started the attack in a community closer to mine (Ayar-Mbalom) on Monday evening but were repelled by the locals. They were even pursued into the bush.

“They made effort all through the night on some villages within the surroundings and met with stiff resistance,” one of the survivors of the attack known as Samuel, told Daily Trust,nigeria . continue reading