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Armed attackers reportedly killed two soldiers, a village head, and six residents in the Egwuma community, Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State, on Tuesday evening.

The assault, which occurred around 5 p.m., left the village shaken. According to local sources, the attackers also seized weapons from the slain soldiers, seriously injuring another.

A former member of the Benue State House of Assembly representing Agatu constituency, Sule Audu, confirmed the incident in a phone interview with reporters.

He stated that nine people, including the two soldiers, the village head of Egwuma, and six others, were killed during the attack.

Audu said, “The incident happened between 4pm and 5pm on Tuesday. The bandits attacked Egwuma through Akile axis, boycotting the road where soldiers were stationed.

They opened fire on people in their houses. They killed the clan head of the village and six others as well as two soldiers and carted away soldiers’ arms.

One of the soldiers was seriously wounded. They went back to the part of Agatu land that they are occupying; villages like Ogwumogbo, Ejuma, Akile, Okpogbolo, Okpiye, Echije.

It was on Sunday that the people returned home after soldiers assured them of safety, then they were killed on Tuesday. The affected village had long been deserted following the bandits invasion. They would attack and run back to the villages they are occupying.”

Audu added that the attackers likely came from Nasarawa and Kogi states, where they have maintained a presence in the area, terrorizing local communities.

He noted that while the soldiers had been instrumental in curbing past attacks, the situation remains dire.

When contacted, Benue State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) SP Catherine Anene said she had not yet received a detailed report of the attack.

A cross section of civil servants in Abuja have expressed concerns over the suspension of the sale of Federal Government’s subsidised rice at N40, 000 per bag of 50 kilograms.

They made their feelings known after discovering the sudden disappearance of officials at different registration units for the purchase of the rice.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the Federal Government promised to sell 30, 000 metric tonnes of 50 kilograms bags of milled rice to Nigerians at subsidised rate of N40, 000.

While inaugurating the scheme, Mr Abubakar Kyari, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security explained that the move by the government was part of its intervention and efforts to crash the prices of food items in Nigerian markets.

NAN also reports that the sale commenced and lasted for over a week, before it was put on hold without notice, an action, workers that were yet to benefit from, decried.

Speaking with NAN, Mrs Mary Nwachukwu, said she was surprised and disturbed when she got to the point of payment at the federal secretariat and found out the officials were not on duty.

`I was encouraged to come to the registration unit at the secretariat, only for me to be told that the whole thing has been suspended.

“Nobody knows what may happen next and if the scheme will still continue,’’ she asked.

Mrs Kudirat Muktah, another civil servant who said she experienced delay in accessing the rice at the initial stage, frowned at the suspension order.

“I was here for two days to get my name registered, but because of the huge crowd, I decided to wait until it eases off, only to be told now that the exercise has been suspended.

“What I heard from the grapevine was that the suspension was as a result of the rowdiness and chaos at the registration and payment point.

“If they can adopt a better method of access to the rice, it will be better for us,’’ she said.

Mr Sylvester Edwards, equally expressed disappointment at the news of the suspension of the sale of the rice, even after he had struggled for two days to get his name written down.

“My brother, I spent two days here before I could register my name, waiting to be called for the rice, but now I am hearing another story.

“Although, we heard that the rice will be accessed through another method, but we cannot trust this government.

“The palliative rice will, to some extent ease the burden of hunger, so, it is important for the government to bring it back,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, finding by NAN confirmed that there was a new arrangement on ground for the purchase of the rice, to end the cumbersome process.

An authoritative source in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, who pleaded anonymity, said it was not the office that coordinated the scheme as speculated.