In another harrowing chapter of violence in Benue State, no fewer than seven farmers have been gruesomely killed in renewed attacks by suspected Fulani herders in Agatu Local Government Area. The coordinated assaults, which occurred between Wednesday evening and the early hours of Thursday, have plunged the already vulnerable communities into mourning and fear.
Local sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that the attackers first stormed Obagaji, a farming settlement, on Wednesday, forcefully displacing villagers from their farmlands. Before dawn on Thursday, the assailants expanded their onslaught, striking the neighbouring communities of Ogwumogbo and Okpokpolo with brutal force.
“The two communities were invaded in the early hours of Thursday. Fulani herdsmen had earlier chased farmers away from their lands in Obagaji. This morning, they returned and attacked Ogwumogbo and Okpokpolo, killing seven people in cold blood,” a traumatised resident recounted.
The Agatu region, already scarred by years of deadly confrontations between farmers and herders, is once again reeling from the impact of unchecked bloodshed. Homes lie abandoned, farmlands deserted, and families torn apart by grief and fear.
“There’s no peace in Agatu as some of us claim,” another resident lamented. “We are dying in silence and the government seems to have forgotten us. We desperately need help.”
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Benue State Command, Catherine Anene, confirmed the siege on Agatu but noted she could not independently verify the number of casualties at the time. She assured that investigations were ongoing and promised to provide further details as soon as they became available.
This tragic incident adds to a growing list of violent clashes in Benue State. In April, two Nigerian Army officers and seven civilians were murdered in a similarly ruthless attack by suspected herders in the Jato-Aka community, Kwande LGA.
The latest wave of attacks has once again ignited fears among locals, with residents fleeing en masse in search of refuge. The mounting insecurity in Benue’s rural communities raises urgent questions about the government’s capacity to safeguard lives and property in the region.
As survivors bury their loved ones and count their losses, a chilling silence hovers over Agatu—one broken only by cries for justice and a desperate plea for peace.
PIONEER NEWS 