There was pandemonium in Nyamatsor, Mbagen, Mbazagee, Buruku Local Government area of Benue State over the weekend as gunmen suspected to cultist disrupted a burial funeral rites.

Halfway into the ceremony, youths with guns, cutlasses and club stormed the venue and shot at mourners.

It was not clear if they got their target.

Many dignitaries, including the traditional ruler of Buruku Local government council Chief Moses Hangeior, who attended the funeral fled for their lives. The traditional ruler was smuggled away with his security aides.

The gunmen stormed the funeral venue at about 8:30 pm when funeral rites were going on and shot sporadically into the air to scare away mourners.

The burial was the funeral of Late Engr. Ayol Vehe, a respected local Government engineer who served as Head of Department ( HOD) works in three local Government areas namely Gboko, Vandeikya and Buruku LGAs.

Before his demise, he was transferred to Katsina Ala local government as Head of Buildings.

The Nation gathered that the deceased had two wives and it was one of his children that mobilized his friends to disrupts the burial.

Youths, however, mobilized and arrested a member of the gunmen and handed him over to Police in Abwa.

There was, however, disagreement among the families as some elders mounted pressure on the police officer in Abwa to released the suspect, saying its a family matter.

Gboko Area police command told The Nation that he was yet to get the report. (The Nation)