At least 18 people have been killed in coordinated weekend attacks by suspected armed herders in Nigeria’s north-central Benue State, triggering mass protests and road blockades by angry residents.
The violence, which occurred in the Otukpo Local Government Area, has once again exposed the fragile security situation in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where long-running disputes over land and resources between nomadic herders and agrarian communities frequently boil over into bloodshed.
Local officials report that the assault took place in phases, beginning on Friday with the targeted killing of two farmers on their land in Akpachi village. The violence escalated dramatically in the early hours of Sunday morning when armed men stormed the sleeping community of Otukpo-Nobi, opening fire indiscriminately.
Benue State, often referred to as Nigeria’s “food basket” due to its agricultural productivity, has been heavily impacted by cyclical violence. The latest killings occurred barely two weeks after the murder of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ardo Risku Mohammed, alongside his associate. Security agencies are investigating whether Sunday’s mass shooting was a direct retaliation.
Police spokesperson Udeme Edet presented a lower casualty figure, confirming eight deaths and five injuries, but local government officials and community search teams report that 18 bodies have been recovered so far, with several people still missing in nearby bushes.
The killings sparked immediate outrage in Otukpo. On Sunday, hundreds of angry youths and grieving women took to the streets, carrying the corpses of some of the victims through the town to the palace of the Och’Idoma, the traditional ruler of the Idoma kingdom, to demand government protection.
Protesters set up makeshift barricades across major transit roads, bringing economic activity to a halt and leaving motorists stranded for hours.
“Many families have been completely devastated by these attacks,” said local protester Ebi Adoyi. “We are searching the forests, and we fear the casualty figure could rise even further.”
Local authorities described the shock of the Sunday morning assault, which caught security forces off guard after they believed the threat from Friday’s initial attack had subsided.
“The bandits came and killed two farmers on Friday. One escaped and alerted the community. We recovered the bodies on Saturday and buried them,” said Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman of the Otukpo Local Government Area. “After searching the surrounding bushes, we believed they had left the area, but around 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, we received distress calls that they had invaded Otukpo-Nobi, killing several people and injuring many others.”
“These acts of mindless bloodshed are a direct attempt to sabotage the progress of our state,” Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia said in a statement released by his press secretary, Tersoo Kula.
“Your lives are precious, and I can assure you that your ancestral lands will not be surrendered to fear. My government stands firmly with you, and we will not allow our communities to be turned into killing fields,” the governor added.
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