Fresh attacks in Otukpo communities

No fewer than 18 persons have been killed and several others injured following fresh attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. The attacks happened in separate incidents between Friday and Sunday and have heightened fears over the worsening security situation in Benue South.

The violence was reported to have started on Friday when assailants invaded Akpachi village in the Ugboju community. Two farmers were reportedly killed while working on their farmland, and their bodies were recovered on Saturday and buried.

Barely 24 hours later, at about 4 a.m. on Sunday, the gunmen struck again in Otukpo-Nobi community, where at least 16 persons were reportedly killed. Several others also sustained varying degrees of injuries in the attack.

The latest killings came barely two weeks after the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, MACBAN, Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his companion, Yakubu Isah, who were ambushed and killed at Okutu community in Otukpo while returning from a peace meeting in Idekpa, Ohimini Local Government Area.

Protest at the palace of the Och'Idoma

The killings triggered outrage in Otukpo, where angry youths carried the corpses of the victims to the palace of the Och'Idoma, disrupting an ongoing church service and demanding urgent government intervention to stop the recurring attacks.

The protesters chanted war songs, accused authorities of failing to protect their communities, and blocked major roads leading in and out of Otukpo. The roadblocks left commuters stranded for several hours.

A resident, Ebi Adoyi, who participated in the protest, said the attacks had thrown the affected communities into mourning and deepened fear among residents.

after killing two people in Ikpachi on Friday, this morning, they attacked Otukpo Nobi killing 16 persons including women and children. My neighbour lost her elder sister and her children in that attack. And the figure may be higher because search is still ongoing for missing people.

— Ebi Adoyi, Resident, Otukpo

Angry youths have taken over all the roads leading in and out of Otukpo. And the protest will continue in the days to come because we are tired of these killings without any tangible action from the authorities. Even the Commissioner of Police who came to Otukpo to visit Otukpo Nobi community spent hours on the road before he was eventually allowed passage after persistent appeals.

— Ebi Adoyi, Resident, Otukpo

Local government response and security concerns

Confirming the attacks, Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, said the incident appeared to be linked to reprisals following the killing of the MACBAN chairman.

You know, I am sure the news of the death of Ardo Risku Mohammed is no longer news to you, and with the mindset of the people we are dealing with, you should also know that reprisals will likely occur,

— Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman, Otukpo Local Government Area

Ogiri explained that the first attack happened on Friday when three villagers went to their farms in Akpachi. According to him, bandits killed two of them while one escaped and alerted the community. He said the bodies were recovered on Saturday and buried.

The bandits came and killed two of them. One escaped and alerted the community. We recovered the corpses on Saturday and buried them. We had combed the bushes believing the attackers had fled, but very early this Sunday morning, around 4 a.m., we received reports that they had besieged Otukpo-Nobi, killing several people and injuring many others. We are making efforts to move survivors to safer locations and ensure they receive proper care. Security has also been reinforced in the area,

— Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman, Otukpo Local Government Area added.

The council chairman appealed for calm, saying efforts were ongoing to prevent further violence and to stop youths from venting their anger on innocent passers-by.

We are trying to calm the youths so that they do not vent their anger on innocent passers-by. They took the bodies of the victims to the palace of the Och'Idoma as part of their protest. When people are afraid and feel helpless, it is difficult to predict how they will react. This is simply their immediate response to the tragedy,

— Maxwell Ogiri, Chairman, Otukpo Local Government Area

Governor condemns killings

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had yet to receive official information on the attacks.

Reacting to the killings, Governor Hyacinth Alia expressed profound sadness and condemned what he described as barbaric attacks on the innocent residents of Akpachi village and Otukpo-Nobi community.

In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the governor described the attacks as "not only a breach of peace but also a barbaric and inhuman assault on the sanctity of life and the collective soul of the people of Benue State."

Alia said the attacks occurred despite ongoing efforts by his administration, traditional rulers and security agencies to restore peace across the state.

These acts of mindless bloodshed are a direct attempt to sabotage the progress of our state. Your lives are precious, and I can assure you that your ancestral lands will not be surrendered to fear. My government stands firmly with you, and we will not allow our communities to be turned into killing fields,

— Hyacinth Alia, Governor, Benue State

He directed all security agencies operating in the state to collaborate with their counterparts in neighbouring states, intensify surveillance and patrols in vulnerable communities, pursue the attackers relentlessly, and ensure their arrest and prosecution.

The governor also urged residents to support security agencies with credible information and reassured communities that his administration remained committed to protecting lives and property amid the renewed wave of attacks.

We urge every citizen to cooperate with the police and military by providing timely and credible intelligence. Security is a collective responsibility, and your information is a vital tool in our defence,

— Hyacinth Alia, Governor, Benue State