Gunmen have unleashed fresh terror in Benue State, brutally killing at least 16 farmers and three other residents in separate attacks on communities in Kwande Local Government Area. The assailants, suspected to be part of the escalating farmers-herders conflict, ambushed their victims along Kashimbila Road on Saturday, dumping their corpses into the Katsina Ala River.
Eyewitnesses and local sources confirmed that the farmers were returning to their community in Mbandwa ward when the armed attackers struck. On Monday afternoon, the same group stormed Boaguwa, Kumakua council ward, and executed three more people in cold blood.
The wave of violence has forced thousands of residents to flee their homes in fear. Speaking from Jato Aka, the President General of Mzough U Tiv Worldwide, Iorbee Ihagh—a retired Comptroller of Prisons—expressed deep concern over the deteriorating security situation in Kwande.
“I was informed that 16 farmers were killed at the weekend and their bodies thrown into the river. Just today, three more were killed in Boaguwa. People have fled their homes, and I doubt if Jato Aka itself is safe,” Ihagh lamented.
He further revealed that all six council wards in Turan, Kwande LGA, had been overrun by gunmen, leaving communities deserted and vulnerable. Calling on President Bola Tinubu, he urged the urgent deployment of more troops to restore security in the area.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Benue State government have so far been futile. The Chairman of Kwande LGA, Terhile Vitalis Neji, could not be reached despite repeated attempts. Likewise, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security, Joseph Har, referred inquiries to the Director General of Homeland Security, Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuan (retd.), whose phone was unreachable.
Similarly, attempts to contact the Benue State Police Command spokesperson, Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful, leaving the residents without any clear assurance of government intervention.
The ongoing violence in Benue State is widely linked to the long-standing farmers-herders crisis, fueled by competition over land and water resources. Farmers accuse herders of destroying their crops, while herders argue that restrictive anti-grazing laws threaten their pastoral livelihood.
Environmental factors such as climate change, desertification, and the southward migration of herders in search of grazing land have exacerbated tensions. Rapid population growth, urban expansion, and land-use changes have only intensified the conflict.
To curb the incessant clashes, the Benue State government enacted the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law in 2017, banning open grazing and mandating ranching for livestock. While farmers welcomed the law as a necessary step for security, groups like the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) have opposed it, calling it discriminatory.
With no immediate government response and security forces struggling to contain the violence, fear and uncertainty grip Benue’s rural communities. As the attacks continue unchecked, residents are left wondering: Will help ever come, or is Benue doomed to remain a killing field?
PIONEER NEWS 