Benue State is once again at the center of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, as fresh data released by the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) reveals that at least 50 communities across 25 council wards in five local government areas (LGAs) have been displaced by armed herdsmen.
The report, published days before a new series of attacks in Ukum, Logo, Otukpo, and Gwer East LGAs, paints a devastating picture of widespread occupation and forced displacements. According to the findings, Gwer West Local Government Area is the worst hit, with all 15 of its council wards — including Sengev, Gbaange/Tongov, Saav, Mbapupuu/Tswarev, Mbabuande Kyaav, and others — suffering direct attacks at various points.
The report, titled “Displaced Communities in Benue State Where Fulanis Have Settled with Their Cows,” highlights the extent of the crisis. Other affected LGAs include Guma, Gwer East, Kwande, and even Makurdi, the state capital.
In Guma LGA, communities in six council wards — notably Mbadwem, Nyiev, Mbaba, Uvir, and Mbayer/Yandev — have been taken over by armed herders. In neighboring Gwer East, the Mbalom council ward has experienced similar destruction, forcing entire villages to flee for safety.
Makurdi, once considered relatively secure, has not been spared. At least two communities in Mbalagh and one in Bar council wards have reportedly fallen to the attackers. Meanwhile, in Kwande LGA, Moon and Anwase council wards have witnessed mass displacements, leaving once-thriving communities deserted.
“There are many more, but these are the ones I can confirm for now,” said Terna Ager, the SEMA information officer, indicating that the figures could rise as more reports emerge from inaccessible areas.
The extent of devastation was further emphasized by Iorbee Ihagh, a retired Comptroller of Prisons and leader of Benue’s three major socio-cultural groups. Ihagh, who hails from Moon ward in Kwande LGA, described the total collapse of infrastructure in his home community.
“Markets, schools, healthcare centers — everything has been destroyed. Our people abandoned their homes years ago, and nothing has been rebuilt,” he said.
Ihagh, who also serves as President of Mdzou U Tiv Worldwide, called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Benue State, warning that the escalating violence and collapse of local economies could lead to broader national instability.
The mass displacements have swelled the population of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the state. SEMA reports that 13 official IDP camps are currently hosting thousands of survivors, while countless others are sheltering with relatives or living in makeshift accommodations.
Many of these displaced residents have been in the camps for over eight years, unable to return to their ancestral lands due to the ongoing insecurity. Conditions in the camps remain dire, with chronic shortages of food, clean water, and medical services.
The SEMA report warns that unless urgent security measures are implemented, more communities will fall, deepening the already grave humanitarian crisis in Benue.
The SEMA report and the testimonies of community leaders underscore a growing consensus: without decisive federal intervention, Benue may spiral into an irreversible humanitarian disaster.
The calls for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency are growing louder, as residents, leaders, and displaced persons alike plead for an end to the violence that has turned Nigeria’s “food basket” into a battleground.
As the herdsmen attacks continue to spread across the state, the people of Benue are left clinging to hope that help will come before it is too late.
