At least twenty-four (24) farmers have been killed in a series of coordinated attacks by suspected armed bandits across four local government areas of Benue State between Friday and Saturday.
The affected areas—Logo, Kwande, Ukum, and Guma LGAs—witnessed brutal assaults, with the highest number of casualties reported in Jootar, a border community between Benue and Taraba states. Armed men suspected to be herders reportedly stormed Jootar in the early hours of Saturday, opening fire on residents and killing eight farmers on the spot.
Tornger Linus, a local resident, told our correspondent via telephone that the victims were ambushed while on their way to their farms early Saturday morning.
“The farmers were killed on their way to the farm. However, we have a boundary problem with the Jukun, so we cannot outrightly say the killers were armed herders or the Jukun militia,” he explained.
Jootar has long been a flashpoint of ethnic tensions involving the Tiv and Jukun communities, as well as recurring clashes with suspected herders. The victims identified by locals include Jonathan Ordooga, Aondogu Torse, Cheater Torse, Yagba Torse, Tersugh Mbaaiiga, Terhemen Emmanuel, Henenshima Apirgwa, and Orfega Atuku.
Elsewhere in the state, nine farmers were confirmed killed in Logo LGA, while three others were slain in both Kwande and Guma LGAs, respectively. Several others remain missing, and the death toll may rise as search efforts continue.
Benue State Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Mathew Abo, confirmed the incident in Jootar. “I got a report from Ukum, which is my local government area, precisely Jootar, that eight farmers who were on their way to their farms in the early hours of Saturday were killed,” Abo stated.
Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful, as her mobile phone remained switched off at the time of filing this report.
The recent attacks have heightened fears among rural communities in Benue, already plagued by frequent violence linked to herder-farmer clashes and ethnic disputes. Authorities are yet to issue a formal statement on efforts to apprehend the perpetrators.
