Benue on Edge: Armed Herdsmen Kill 9 as Ethnic Tensions Flare After Murder of Two Youths
Benue State is reeling from a fresh wave of violence as nine people, including a police officer, were killed in renewed attacks by suspected armed herdsmen in Agatu Local Government Area. Meanwhile, a separate killing of two youths has ignited ethnic tension between Igede-speaking communities and their Tiv neighbours, raising fears of further unrest.
The herdsmen reportedly launched sustained attacks from neighbouring Kogi State, targeting several villages—Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, Olegagbani, and Ikpele—over a four-day period. Locals say the gunmen struck without warning, killing residents and forcing mass displacement as terrified villagers fled their homes. A source revealed that the attacks began Friday, leaving two dead in Okwutanobe, followed by further killings in other villages. The deadliest assault occurred in Ikpele, where five people, including a police officer, were murdered.
Confirming the incidents, Agatu council chairman James Melvin stated that the violence might be linked to herders’ allegations of cattle rustling. He said four victims were killed in the earlier attacks, with five others—including the officer—slain in the most recent raid.
The state police spokesperson, Udeme Edet, said the command was yet to receive full details but confirmed that deployment had been made to the affected areas.
Tensions have also flared in Oju and Obi LGAs after two middle-aged Igede men, Jonathan Ogah and Gabriel Ogodo, were killed by suspected Tiv youths in Gwer East while travelling on motorcycles. One of the victims had just recently married. The killings have caused panic, with students and travellers abandoning the usually busy Oju-Aliade road. Long-standing land disputes between the Tiv and Igede communities have once again come to the fore, as fears grow of possible reprisal attacks.
In another incident, violence erupted in Nyifon, Mbaikyongo Ward of Buruku LGA, where youths from Mbayaka community in Kusuv reportedly attacked over a misunderstanding tied to a boat mishap. In response, Governor Hyacinth Alia issued a 48-hour ultimatum to security agencies to arrest those behind the killings in both the Gwer East and Buruku councils. He condemned the attacks as acts of lawlessness, urging all parties to maintain peace while investigations continue.
Senator Abba Moro, representing Benue South, described the killings of the Igede youths as barbaric and called for immediate government intervention to stop the bloodshed. Similarly, the Ito Youths Association condemned the attack, warning that it has once again shattered the fragile peace in the region.
As communities grieve and tensions remain high, all eyes are on the state government and security forces to prevent the situation from spiraling further out of control.
