Benue Under Siege: Gunmen’s Rampage Results in 13 Fatalities

Makurdi—At least 13 individuals have been reported dead, and one person injured in two separate attacks by suspected armed herdsmen in the Agatu and Gwer West Local Government Areas of Benue State.

The first attack occurred Sunday evening in Egwuma village, Agatu LGA, where 12 people were killed in an unprovoked assault. The second attack took place at Tse Iyo in the Sengev Council Ward of Gwer West LGA on the same evening, resulting in one fatality, one injury, and five individuals reported missing.

Mr. Godwin Edoh, the lawmaker representing Agatu state constituency, confirmed the attack, stating that the victims were killed when armed men stormed the village. He expressed his distress over the continuous assaults on his constituents and urged the government to take decisive action to stop the senseless killings.

“Twelve people were killed in the attack,” Mr. Edoh said. “We are exhausted and the problem persists. The government must take decisive action regarding the area. The communities are highly vulnerable. Villages like Ogbumogbo, Ejima, and those extending to Ikpele have been deserted for almost a year, turning them into a haven for herdsmen. They bring their cattle in the morning, graze until they decide to leave, and return whenever they want because the villages are abandoned, and nothing is being done about it.”

In Gwer West, a youth leader and attack survivor, Cheghza Igbasue, recounted how they were ambushed by armed men while returning from the farm. A local source confirmed that the armed herders attacked and killed 30-year-old Ikyumbu Aondowase, while 45-year-old Achin Terzungwe was severely wounded and taken to Naka, the LGA headquarters, for treatment.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, stated that she had received information about five deaths in the Agatu attack but was yet to receive details of the Gwer West attack.

These tragic incidents highlight the ongoing security challenges in Benue State, calling for immediate and effective measures to protect the lives and properties of the residents.