There was tension in Ancha Village, near the Agan Toll Gate in the Agan Council Ward of Makurdi Local Government Area, Benue State, on Friday when armed herdsmen ambushed security personnel responding to distress calls from locals in the area engaging them in a gun fire.
Residents had alerted security operatives after they noticed a group of herders grazing cattle on cultivated farmland behind the village.
However, on reaching the area, the operatives reportedly came under sudden and heavy gunfire from the armed herders, sparking a fierce shootout.
The situation caused panic among villagers, many of whom fled into nearby bushes for safety.
As of the time of filing this report, the extent of casualties or arrests remains unclear, but reinforcements were said to have been deployed to the area to forestall further violence and secure the community.