On Tuesday morning, residents of the Ondo community in Ugboju, located in the Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, fled their homes following a fresh attack by suspected armed herdsmen.
Reports indicate that the assailants stormed the area in the early morning hours and began shooting, forcing local residents to run for their lives.
According to Hon. Jimmy Nart, a local resident and the Labour Party candidate for the House of Assembly in the 2027 elections, the attack was still ongoing at the time of filing this report.
In a message, he wrote: “I just received information from my family that Fulani terrorists are currently attacking Ondo, Ugboju. Protect yourself.”
This latest attack comes only 48 hours after suspected armed herdsmen invaded the Otukpo-Nobi settlement in the same local government area, where they reportedly killed more than 18 people.
At the time of filing this report, the exact number of casualties from this recent raid could not be independently verified.
The Benue State Police Command has not released an official response. Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, for clarification and comments via calls and messages went unanswered.
Earlier Attack
At least ten people lost their lives following a series of attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on communities within the Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Reports obtained by sources indicate that the violence began on Saturday when the armed group struck Akpachi village in the Ugboju community, leaving two individuals dead and several others with various injuries.
Less than twenty-four hours later, during the early hours of Sunday, the attackers struck again. This time, they invaded the Otukpo Nobi neighborhood, killing eight more people and leaving numerous others wounded.
The incident also stirred protests from angry youths seeking justice.
Backstory…
Benue State has remained the epicentre of Nigeria’s protracted farmer-herder conflict for more than a decade, with communities across Guma, Logo, Gwer West, Agatu, Apa and other local government areas repeatedly coming under deadly attacks by suspected armed herders.
Thousands of residents have been killed, entire villages razed and hundreds of thousands displaced into internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, making Benue one of the states worst affected by recurring violence in the country’s Middle Belt.
