The Ter Tyoshin and Chairman of the Gwer West Traditional Council, His Royal Highness Daniel Abomtse, has sounded a dire warning over the escalating security crisis in Benue State, revealing that armed herdsmen have overtaken more than two-thirds of the state.
Speaking during an extraordinary expanded sitting of the Gwer West Local Government Traditional Council, the monarch traced the origins of the violence back to 2011, when armed herders first invaded communities in Gwer West. He lamented that what began as localized attacks has since spread to nearly 20 out of the state’s 23 local government areas (LGAs), displacing thousands from their ancestral homes into Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
“All the districts in Gwer West have been occupied,” Abomtse stated. “The rightful owners of the land have been displaced and are now congested in Naka, the headquarters of the local government. In the villages, the armed herdsmen are still there — some rearing cattle, others engaging in banditry and kidnappings.”
The traditional ruler painted a grim picture of life in affected areas, describing major routes such as the Naka-Adoka, Naka-Taraku, and Naka-Makurdi roads as “death traps.”
Expanding on the scale of devastation, Abomtse reported that in Kwande LGA, over six districts are under siege, while Guma has lost all ten districts. In Makurdi, he noted, only the metropolis remains untouched. Logo and Ukum LGAs have been severely impacted, with Ukum emerging as a “hotbed of attacks.” Surrounding communities in Otukpo, Agatu, and Apa LGAs have also been rendered unsafe.
Calling for urgent federal intervention, the Ter Tyoshin urged the government to act swiftly to reclaim the occupied territories and allow displaced citizens to return to their homes.
“What we are facing in Benue is severely under-reported,” he emphasized. “It is not comparable to what’s happening in any other state, not even in Borno.”
The monarch’s plea highlights the deepening humanitarian crisis in Benue, as insecurity continues to drive mass displacement and endanger rural livelihoods across the state.
