Suspected armed herdsmen on Friday afternoon attacked Anwase Market in Mbaikyor, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, abducting several market women and setting the market on fire.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants stormed the community from a nearby mountain, firing shots into the air to create panic before setting market stalls ablaze and forcefully taking away some women traders.
The Nigerian Newssphere learned that the attackers fled with their victims toward the mountainous area before security operatives arrived at the scene.
A resident told our correspondent that the market had already been engulfed by flames before locals could organize any resistance, noting that traders ran in different directions to escape the attack.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer for comments were unsuccessful, as calls and messages were not returned at the time of filing this report.
