Despite the heavy presence of security personnel across volatile regions of Benue State, at least nine farmers were gruesomely murdered on Friday afternoon in fresh, coordinated attacks launched by heavily armed herdsmen, igniting fresh fears in the epicentre of Nigeria’s protracted farmer-herder conflict.
The bloodshed unfolded in two separate but strategically linked communities — Ayilamo in Tombo Ward of Logo Local Government Area and Jato-Acka in Kwande Local Government Area — leaving residents shattered and security forces racing to contain the carnage.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of horror in Jato-Acka as over 20 assailants stormed the community around 4:00 p.m., firing sporadically and setting homes ablaze in what survivors say was a premeditated ambush. Six people were killed on the spot, their bodies riddled with bullets and their homes reduced to smouldering rubble.
Shortly after wreaking havoc in Jato-Acka, the gunmen moved with chilling precision toward Ayilamo via the Ikyungwa axis, where three more victims — including an officer of the Benue State Livestock Guards — were slaughtered, further compounding the devastation.
According to Daily Post, a community leader in Ayilamo, Tyovenda Igyutu, acknowledged the heroic intervention of security operatives — including a joint team of soldiers and police — whose swift deployment likely prevented a full-scale massacre.
> “Ayilamo could have been completely overrun if not for the prompt response of the troops,” Igyutu said.
In Jato-Acka, Lawrence Akerigba, a youth leader, gave a harrowing account of the invasion, describing it as an “onslaught of unimaginable cruelty.”
> “The invaders came around 4 p.m., shot several people, and torched houses. Many families are now homeless and in mourning,” he said, his voice trembling with grief.
The twin attacks are just the latest in a relentless wave of violence that has gripped Benue State — often referred to as “Nigeria’s killing fields” — as herders and farmers clash over land, grazing routes, and dwindling resources.
In a separate but equally disturbing incident earlier in the week, Comrade Jerry Jeremiah, an APC youth leader from Apa Local Government Area, and Chief Adejo Anthony Denison, the District Head of Odugbeho in Agatu LGA, were murdered by gunmen while tending their farms.
The ambush occurred on Wednesday along the Otukpo-Otobi-Akpa Road in Otukpo Local Government Area, where the victims had gone to farm. Witnesses say the farmland, although located in Otukpo, is frequently leased by people from Agatu and other neighbouring communities.
Tragically, the killings came just a day after another APC chieftain and six others were murdered in separate coordinated strikes across Gwer East and Makurdi LGAs — marking a sharp escalation in attacks.
Speaking to journalists by phone, Chairman of Agatu LGA, Mavis James Ejeh, confirmed the death of the district head.
> “Chief Tony Adejo was brutally killed on his farm by unknown gunmen. Though the community of Odugbeho remains calm, we call on residents to avoid retaliation and allow law enforcement to carry out their duties,” he urged.
As communities mourn their dead and survivors count their losses, the renewed spate of violence raises urgent questions about the effectiveness of current security deployments and the long-term strategy for peace in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Is Benue State destined to bleed endlessly, or will decisive leadership finally end the siege on its farming communities? The people can only hope that help comes — and fast.
PIONEER NEWS 