At least 18 people have been killed after gunmen launched coordinated attacks on farming communities in Benue State’s Otukpo Local Government Area, triggering protests and road blockades by angry residents demanding greater protection from authorities.
The attacks, which local officials blamed on suspected armed herders, unfolded over three days and have heightened fears of renewed violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where recurring clashes between farming communities and armed groups have claimed hundreds of lives in recent years.
According to local authorities, the violence began on Friday when two farmers were attacked and killed while working on their farms in Akpachi village.
The victims were buried on Saturday after local search teams recovered their bodies.
However, residents were jolted again around 4 a.m. on Sunday when heavily armed assailants invaded nearby Otukpo-Nobi, opening fire on residents and killing several people.
While Benue Police Command confirmed eight deaths and five injuries, local officials said community search teams had recovered 18 bodies, with fears the toll could rise as more people remained unaccounted for.
Reuters reported that search operations were continuing in nearby bushes where several residents were believed to have fled during the attack.
The latest killings come less than two weeks after the murder of Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ardo Risku Mohammed, and an associate. Security agencies are investigating whether Sunday’s attack was linked to the earlier killings.
Residents protest killings
The attacks sparked protests across Otukpo on Sunday as hundreds of youths and women marched through the town carrying some of the victims’ bodies to the palace of the Och’Idoma, the traditional ruler of the Idoma Kingdom.
The demonstrators accused authorities of failing to protect communities despite repeated attacks and erected makeshift barricades on major roads, disrupting traffic and commercial activities for several hours.
One protester, Ebi Adoyi, said many families had been devastated and warned that the death toll could increase as search efforts continued, according to The Guardian.
The chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, said officials initially believed the attackers had fled after Friday’s killings.
“The bandits came and killed two farmers on Friday. One escaped and alerted the community. We recovered the bodies on Saturday and buried them,” Ogiri said.
“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.”
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings, describing them as an attempt to undermine peace in the state.
“These acts of mindless bloodshed are a direct attempt to sabotage the progress of our state,” the governor said in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula.
He assured residents that the government would continue efforts to restore security.
“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.”
Benue, often described as Nigeria’s “food basket” because of its vast agricultural production, has witnessed repeated attacks linked to disputes over land use, grazing routes and criminal violence.
The latest killings add to growing concerns over worsening insecurity in the state despite repeated promises by authorities to curb attacks on farming communities.
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