Five days after burial, armed men attack bereaved Benue family, steal burial contributions

By Johnson Arua

Barely five days after burying their mother, the family of Lawrence Iorwa has been thrown into renewed grief following a violent attack by suspected armed robbers on their family compound.

Eyewitnesses said the attack occurred in the early hours of Friday when three unidentified gunmen stormed the residence where family members were still mourning.

The assailants reportedly beat and tortured the occupants while demanding money contributed during the burial of their late mother, who died in a motor accident along the Amaafu–Katsina-Ala Road.

“The attack was brutal and devastating,” a family source said. “Several people were injured, including Lawrence’s father, whose leg became badly swollen after the beating. Lawrence himself sustained serious injuries to his hand.”

The source added that an aunt and the wife of Lawrence’s uncle, who were also in the house at the time, were severely beaten and robbed of their belongings.

“Despite trying to resist, we were overpowered. The attackers took all the cash they could find and carted away valuables,” the source said.

Items reportedly stolen include mobile phones, clothes, packed shuttle bags, and other personal effects. In a particularly distressing development, the assailants were also said to have taken away the clothes of the family’s deceased mother.
“The gunmen even stole our motorcycle,” the source added. “That was our only means of transportation. They left us completely stranded.”

An emotional member of the family, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the incident as overwhelming.

“We were still trying to recover from the loss of our mother when this happened,” he said. “Our father is injured, others are badly beaten, and everything we had was taken away. It feels like our world has been turned upside down.”

He noted that life has remained deeply unsettling since the attack. “Nothing feels normal anymore. We are scared, hurt, and unsure of what to do next,” he added.

The family has appealed to security agencies and relevant authorities to urgently intervene and ensure the arrest of those responsible for the attack.

They also called on the general public for support and assistance as they struggle to rebuild their lives after yet another devastating blow.

Efforts to reach the police for comments were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.