Traditional ruler and political leaders among latest victims in escalating farmer-herder crisis
At least nine farmers have been confirmed dead following a series of coordinated attacks by suspected herdsmen on two farming communities in Benue State, sparking renewed fears over the worsening security situation in the region.
The deadly assaults, which occurred on Friday afternoon, targeted Ayilamo in Logo Local Government Area and Jato-Acka in Kwande Local Government Area. Eyewitnesses say heavily armed assailants stormed Jato-Acka around 4 p.m., opening fire on residents and setting several homes ablaze. Six people were reportedly killed on the spot.
The attackers, described as over 20 in number, then moved toward Ayilamo via the Ikyungwa route. There, they killed three more individuals, including a member of the Benue State Livestock Guard, bringing the total death toll to nine.
According to local sources, the carnage in Ayilamo could have been worse but for the timely intervention of a joint security task force comprising soldiers and police officers. “If not for the quick response by security operatives, Ayilamo would have been reduced to ashes,” said Tyovenda Igyutu, a community elder.
Youth leader Lawrence Akerigba from Jato-Acka described the attack as “a brutal ambush that left the entire community in shock,” confirming multiple casualties and destroyed properties.
The attacks add to a troubling pattern of violence that has plagued Benue State, widely regarded as the epicenter of Nigeria’s ongoing conflict between nomadic herders and farming communities.
In a separate but related incident, gunmen also murdered two prominent figures earlier in the week while they worked on their farms in Otukpo Local Government Area. Victims included Comrade Jerry Jeremiah, an APC youth leader from Apa LGA, and Chief Adejo Anthony Denison, the traditional ruler of Odugbeho in Agatu LGA.
The killings occurred along the Otukpo-Otobi-Akpa road on Wednesday. Locals say the farmland, though situated in Otukpo, is widely cultivated by farmers from Agatu and surrounding areas.
Chairman of Agatu LGA, Mavis James Ejeh, confirmed the death of the district head, urging residents to remain calm and not resort to vigilante justice. “Chief Tony Adejo was attacked on his farmland. While this is painful, we are calling for peace and restraint,” Ejeh told reporters by phone.
Just a day before that incident, another APC chieftain and six others were slain in separate attacks across Gwer East and Makurdi LGAs, further underscoring the deepening insecurity in the region.
State authorities have yet to issue an official statement, but local leaders are calling for federal intervention to stem the tide of bloodshed.
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