Angry youths in Naka, Benue State, on Tuesday, set fire to the palace of Ter Nagi, Chief Daniel Abomtse, and parts of the Gwer West Local Government Secretariat while protesting the killing of three people.
The violence erupted after suspected armed herders reportedly killed three operatives of the Benue Civil Protection Guards at Garuwa community in the local government.
The bodies of the victims were brought to Naka in the early hours of Tuesday, triggering protests that escalated into destruction.
The Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Victor Omirin, and Ter Nagi, Chief Daniel Abomtse, confirmed the incident.
‘Yes, they burned down the secretariat and the Ter Naka palace. Three protection guards were killed in Garuwa so when their bodies were brought to Naka, it sparked protest from the youth and it’s now being taken over by hoodlums,” the chairman said.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful, as her phone was not connecting.