The death toll from coordinated attacks by suspected herdsmen on communities in Ukum and Logo Local Government Areas of Benue State has risen to 20.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, disclosed that the attacks occurred in the Sankera axis, leaving residents in mourning and prompting an intense search operation by security forces and local volunteers.
According to the governor, five corpses were initially recovered in Gbagir and transported to a mortuary. However, ongoing efforts by civilians searching for missing relatives led to the discovery of two additional bodies. In one instance, a bereaved family opted for an immediate burial, which was carried out under the protection of security personnel who provided cover during the burial rites.
Meanwhile, police operatives responding to simultaneous attacks in Logo recovered twelve more bodies, also deposited in a local mortuary. These discoveries bring the total number of confirmed fatalities to twenty.
The violence has sent shockwaves through the state, already grappling with a fragile security situation exacerbated by long-standing tensions between farming communities and nomadic herdsmen.
Governor Alia condemned the attacks and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property. He urged residents to cooperate with security agencies by providing timely and accurate information that could help prevent further violence.
“The government is doing everything within its power to restore peace and ensure the perpetrators of these heinous acts are brought to justice,” he said.
Benue State, often referred to as the “Food Basket of the Nation,” has been a flashpoint in the country’s ongoing herder-farmer conflict, a crisis driven by land use disputes, climate pressures, and deepening ethnic and religious divisions.
Security forces have since intensified patrols in the affected communities while investigations are ongoing.
