Three people killed in fresh Benue attacks after police chief's visit

At least three people have died and two others are hurt in new attacks by suspected armed herders on Elulu and Agadagba communities in Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue State.

These attacks happened just two days after the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, visited the state and promised to boost security operations.

The violence, which took place between Friday and Saturday night, is the latest incident in Benue despite new security measures announced by both federal and state authorities.

Gabriel Adole, the Chairman of Ohimini Local Government, confirmed the attacks to reporters on Sunday. He said the gunmen first hit Elulu village on Friday before attacking Agadagba community on Saturday.

“It is not only in Agadagba community that the armed herders killed people. They first attacked Elulu village the day before yesterday, killed somebody, attacked another person and collected his Bajaj motorcycle,” Mr Adole said.

“They also went to Agadagba village that very day to rustle cows, but the people repelled them. So, they shot one of them in the leg. They couldn’t rustle the cows from there again. Yesterday, being Saturday, they went out again and killed two persons in Agadagba.

“As I am talking to you, I am even preparing to go to the communities to pay them condolences.

“So far, three lives have been lost in the attacks. They injured two persons, the one whose bike they collected and the one they shot while attempting to rustle his cows. Both of them are still in the hospital receiving treatment.”

A local from Agadagba, who chose to be called Ameh, said the attackers tried to steal cattle before shooting at residents who resisted them.

“The Fulani herdsmen attacked our community yesterday night and attempted to rustle cows. Some youths repelled them, but because the attackers were heavily armed, they shot at the youths and two of them died,” he said.

Mr Adole stated that community vigilantes and other security personnel had been sent to the affected areas to stop further attacks. He added that Governor Hyacinth Alia had ordered more security support for the area.

“The governor has actually mobilised me and I have also mobilised the community vigilantes because it is only the vigilantes that can get to where they are. I can assure you that with the adequate security provided by the governor in Ohimini, we will get those perpetrators.

“The vigilantes are on ground and Alia has mobilised me to also mobilise them, which I have done. These marauders cannot drive us out of our land,” he said.

The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, could not be reached for comments as calls to her phone were not answered at the time of this report.

These new attacks happened just 48 hours after the Inspector-General of Police visited Benue for an operational assessment and a security meeting with Governor Alia and other stakeholders.

During the visit on Thursday, Mr Disu promised to improve intelligence-led policing and urged residents to share credible information with security agencies, assuring them that informants’ identities would be kept secret.

Governor Alia, on his part, repeated his call for state police, saying officers familiar with local communities and terrain would handle security threats better.

The governor also promised the state’s backing for a planned 14-day security sweep across Benue and reiterated his administration’s goal to help farmers return safely to their communities.

PREMIUM TIMES reported earlier that at least eight people were killed on 12 July when suspected armed herders attacked Otukpo-Nobi and Akpachi communities in neighbouring Otukpo Local Government Area.

These attacks led to protests by youths, who blocked major roads and demanded urgent government action to end the ongoing violence. Amnesty International later called for an independent investigation into the killings, warning that repeated attacks on rural communities have displaced hundreds of residents in Benue State.

The recent attack also follows the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isah, who were ambushed and killed on 26 June while coming back from a peace meeting in Ohimini Local Government Area.

After the killing, police announced they had arrested suspects linked to the incident, while several communities in Benue South expressed worry that more attacks could be revenge attacks.

Residents and community leaders have consistently called on the federal and Benue State governments to boost security in vulnerable rural areas to stop further loss of lives.