Fresh violence has erupted in Benue State, with armed herdsmen killing three individuals in separate attacks, plunging local communities into fear and raising alarms about escalating insecurity.
Details of the Separate Attacks
The incidents occurred in the Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State. According to local sources, one of the victims was identified as Terlumum Mpev. He was attacked and killed on his farm in Iordye village, within the Nzorov Council Ward.
His younger brother narrated that the tragedy unfolded when Terlumum tried to prevent herdsmen from allowing their cattle to graze on his rice farm. "He was just trying to protect his farm. The herders became angry, ganged up on him, and macheted him to death," he stated. The victim's body was later evacuated for burial.
In a related development, sources speaking anonymously confirmed that herdsmen also launched attacks on other villages including Tse Ubagi, Tse Kyundu, Yage, and Agba. During these raids, shops and homes were targeted, with crops and livestock destroyed, forcing residents to flee for their lives.
Community in Panic, Economic Activities Halted
The brutal killings have instilled deep fear among residents, particularly local farmers who now dread working on their lands. A community member voiced the collective anxiety, saying, "Our people have been raising alarms over the increasing presence of herders in the area. With the high influx of herders recently, we fear more attacks are coming."
The violence has brought economic life to a standstill. People have been advised to suspend all business and farming activities until stability is restored, exacerbating threats to livelihoods in the agrarian region.
Calls for Action Amid a Pattern of Violence
Residents and local leaders are urgently calling on security authorities and the government to intervene decisively to prevent further loss of lives and property. This latest incident is part of a disturbing pattern of violence in the state.
It follows recent reports where armed herdsmen killed two security operatives in the Udeku community of Benue, leading to a similar halt in economic activities and displacement of residents. Furthermore, suspected herdsmen were also implicated in an ambush that killed five people, including a former PDP assembly candidate, Igbabe Ochi, earlier in the year.
The repeated attacks underscore a severe and ongoing security challenge in Benue State, with communities living in constant fear and appealing for lasting solutions to the farmer-herder conflicts that continue to claim innocent lives.
