City Info

16 Allegedly Killed as Herdsmen Throw Corpses in Benue River

Published

2 months ago

Feb 17, 2025.

Families Akerigba expressed concern that the once-bustling Jato-Aka/Kashimbilla road has now become a death trap, with armed herdsmen targeting innocent travelers, massacring them, and discarding their bodies in the river.
Slain victims search for corpses in tears
Burnt several houses, scores flee homes

Benue State continues to face severe humanitarian challenges due to ongoing attacks by suspected Fulani bandits, Eko Hot Blog reports.

In a recent incident, armed herdsmen allegedly killed 16 farmers in Kwande local government area, leaving their bodies in River Katsina-Ala, a tributary of River Benue.

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Moreover, three cocoa traders tragically lost their lives when the invaders reportedly ambushed them in a Hummer bus and burned them alive along with their cocoa fruits near Kashimbilla in neighboring Taraba State.

Community leader Lawrence Akerigba confirmed the grim developments in Kwande, including the torching of three houses.

Akerigba expressed concern that the once-bustling Jato-Aka/Kashimbilla road has now become a death trap, with armed herdsmen targeting innocent travelers, massacring them, and discarding their bodies in the river.

As many as ten local government areas, including Agatu, Guma, Gwer-West, Makurdi, Katsina-Ala, Ukum, Logo, Ogbadibo, Otukpo, and Kwande, have come under attack by suspected Fulani bandits, exacerbating the dire humanitarian situation in Benue State.

16 Allegedly Killed as Herdsmen Throw Corpses in Benue River

“As I speak with you, 16 innocent people who were returning from the market lost their lives in the hands of the killers who killed them and threw their bodies in River Katsina-Ala, a tributary of River Benue.

“Families of the slain victims have continued to search for corpses of their people but in vain and tears”, Akerigba exclaimed.

Akerigba appealed for an increased deployment of troops to protect affected communities, as current military presence has proven insufficient to cope with the security threats.

Former councillor Jacob Ubi emphasize the need for additional troops and the demarcation of boundaries between Benue and Taraba States to help address ongoing violence.

Ubi underscored the importance of establishing a police barrack and constructing access roads to facilitate development in the area.

Expressing frustration over perceived government neglect, Ubi called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prioritize the needs of Kwande’s residents, many of whom have been displaced due to the ongoing attacks by armed herdsmen.

The influx of internally displaced persons (IDPs) has resulted in severe overcrowding in Jato Aka, a town known as the only safe haven for those fleeing violence.

The dire situation has forced the closure of schools and markets, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Kwande.