By Rafiyat Sadiq
Nine people, including a police officer, have been killed in renewed attacks by suspected armed herders on several communities in the Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.
The affected communities include Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, Olegagbani, and Ikpele. Local sources said the attackers, believed to have crossed from neighbouring Kogi State, began their assault on Friday and continued until Monday.
A resident, who asked not to be named, said the violence began at Okwutanobe, where two people were killed. The following day, Okpokpolo came under attack, leaving one person dead.
On Monday, Olegagbani was raided, with one person killed. The latest incident occurred in Ikpele, where a police officer and four others lost their lives.
“People are fleeing their homes, and no one knows where will be attacked next,” the source said.
Chairman of Agatu LGA, James Melvin, confirmed the casualty figures, stating that four people were killed in Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, and Olegagbani, while five, including the police officer, were killed in Ikpele.
He suggested the attacks might be reprisals over alleged cattle rustling.
READ ALSO: Fresh Benue Attack: Herders Kill Four Officers
State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Udeme Edet, said he had yet to receive full details but confirmed that security personnel had been deployed to the affected areas.
Tension Over Killing of Two Igede Youths
Separately, tension has escalated between the Igede-speaking people of Oju and Obi LGAs and Tiv communities in Gwer East and Konshisha LGAs after two friends from Oju, identified as Jonathan Ogah and Gabriel Ogodo, were killed on Monday by suspected Tiv youths at Ulam community in Gwer East.
The victims, one of whom was recently married, were travelling by motorcycle from Oju to Makurdi when they were attacked on the Oju-Awajir road. Their bodies were later recovered and returned to their community.
The incident forced many travellers, including students of the College of Education, Oju, to abandon the busy Oju-Aliade road.
The Tiv and Igede communities have a history of disputes over farmland ownership, which successive administrations have failed to resolve.
Governor Issues 48-Hour Ultimatum
Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings and a separate attack on the Nyifon community in Buruku LGA, linked to a misunderstanding over a boat mishap. He gave security agencies 48 hours to identify and arrest the perpetrators.
“No one has the right to invade another community or inflict harm under any circumstance,” the governor said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula. He urged security agencies to work with traditional rulers to restore calm and warned against any actions that could disrupt the state’s fragile peace.
Senate Minority Leader, Youth Group React
Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, described the killing of the two Igede youths as “barbaric and dastardly”. He called on the state government to intervene decisively to end the recurring violence in the Gwer/Konshisha/Oju axis.
The Ito Youths Association (ITA), representing Igede-speaking youths, also condemned the attack, describing it as a blow to the fragile peace in the area.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
