Suspected gunmen on Friday afternoon attacked Anwase Market in Mbaikyor, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, abducting several women traders and setting parts of the market on fire.

Eyewitnesses said the assailants emerged from a nearby mountain and began firing shots sporadically to instil fear among residents before torching market stalls and seizing women at the scene.

According to the witnesses, the attackers fled with the abducted victims into the surrounding mountainous terrain before security operatives could arrive.

One eyewitness said that by the time residents attempted to mobilise a response, the market had already been engulfed in flames, forcing traders to flee in different directions to escape the attack.

Efforts to obtain official comments from the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report, as calls and messages sent to the police spokesperson were not returned.