LAGOS, April 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 134 people were killed within five days in separate attacks by armed bandits in Nigeria's central state of Benue, according to Samuel Ortom, the state governor.
The attacks took place in villages of Otukpo, Apa, and Guma local government areas of the state between Wednesday and Sunday, with the gunmen burning houses and other properties, Ortom told reporters Monday in Makurdi, the state capital, when he visited some injured victims.
The governor described the attacks as "heinous and cowardly," appealing to the community and its leaders to continue to be law-abiding and vigilant at all times so as to be able to ward off the assailants.
Meanwhile, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the use of terrorism as a tool in inter-communal conflicts, urging that the attackers of innocent citizens in Benue be found and dealt with swiftly under the law.
In a statement issued by his media office Sunday night, the president urged that all efforts be made to end the extreme violence. He also directed the security agencies to enhance surveillance on every front and immediately review the security management in the affected areas. ■