A fresh wave of violence swept through Benue State on Thursday night, leaving seven people dead and three others abducted in Agbo Vengav Udam, a community in Gwer West Local Government Area.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers stormed the area around 7pm, opening fire indiscriminately and sparking chaos among residents.
One source said the assailants approached through a border village in Otukpo before launching their assault on Agbo.
“They came through a border village in Otukpo and entered Agbo while shooting sporadically. Seven people were killed instantly, and they abducted three others,” a local resident told Daily Trust.
Tragically, one of the victims was a baby, while the child’s mother was among those kidnapped, another witness disclosed.
Five bodies were deposited at the morgue in Naka, while the remaining two victims were laid to rest by their families immediately.
The unrelenting attacks have left many residents fleeing the area out of fear of another strike.
However, efforts to reach Gwer West council chairman, Victor Ormin, were unsuccessful as calls and messages went unanswered.
Similar attempts to contact Benue Police spokesperson, CSP Catherine Anene, also yielded no response.
The Thursday night assault follows an earlier incident the same day in which unidentified gunmen hijacked two commercial vehicles and abducted 19 passengers within the same local government.
Data compiled from various attacks throughout April reveal a chilling death toll of at least 113 across seven local government areas in Benue.
However, locals believe the actual figure could be higher due to underreporting in remote communities.
The deadliest of these attacks occurred in the Sankera region, where 83 people were killed within five days across Katsina-Ala, Logo, and Ukum LGAs, starting from Thursday, April 17.
Other incidents included:
- The April 15 attack in Otobi-Akpa, Otukpo LGA, which left 13 dead.
- A separate incident on April 4 in which three were killed in a bus attack, bringing Otukpo’s total to 16.
- On April 9, three people were killed in Mbasombo, Gwer East.
- Gwer West suffered attacks on April 9 and April 24, with two and seven fatalities respectively.
- Two people were also killed in Guma LGA on April 22.
Responding to the deteriorating security situation, Governor Hyacinth Alia reiterated the urgent need for federal intervention while hosting the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, in Makurdi.
“I used the occasion to speak the truth: Benue is under siege. Our communities are grieving. Our lands are soaked in tears.”
“Our farmers, the backbone of Nigeria’s food security, are being driven from their ancestral homes,” Governor Alia declared on his verified Facebook page.
“I once again appealed to the Federal Government for urgent and increased support to end this bloodshed. We cannot, and will not, normalise this evil,” he stated.
Governor Alia added that the President’s message, delivered by the NSA, was one of solidarity.
“The NSA delivered the President’s message: that Benue is not alone,” he wrote, adding, “the President and his entire cabinet were 100 percent with the state in this trying moment.”
He continued: “This is real evil… We will fight to ensure these murderers are defeated. Benue is number one in food production, and we must protect that legacy.”
Reflecting on the visit, the governor emphasized the need for decisive action: “The visit gave us hope, but more importantly, it demands action. And I will not rest until peace is restored to every inch of Benue soil. We will continue to defend our people, our land, and our right to live without fear.”
