Armed Herders Ambush and Kill 15 Traders in Benue State

• The Attack by the herders happened around Ogwumogbo and Okpo’okpolo in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State. 
• One of the deceased was identified as Ali from Ogwumogbo, while the names of the other four remain unknown.
• Police spokesperson for Benue Command, CSP Catherine Anene, stated that she had not yet received any reports regarding the recent incident.

At least 15 traders have been killed in a devastating attack by armed herders in communities around Ogwumogbo and Okpo’okpolo in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.

Eko Hot Blog gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday evening as the traders were returning from Oweto market in Agatu to their respective villages.

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Former Vice Chairman of Agatu LGA, John Ikwulono, confirmed the attack, stating that numerous individuals sustained injuries, and five victims were killed between Ogbayi and Ogwumogbo near a small stream called Abekoko.

One of the deceased was identified as Ali from Ogwumogbo, while the names of the other four remain unknown.

Melvin James, the Chairman of Agatu LGA, was attending the victims’ burial on Sunday when a call was put through his telephone and answered by his aide.

His aide, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the killings and alleged that armed herders perpetrated the act.

In an attempt to gain further insight into the incident, the State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Mohammed Risku, was contacted. Risku confirmed he was attending a meeting and promised to provide additional information at a later time, but had yet to do so as of the time of this report.

Ibrahim Galma, the MACBAN Secretary, stated that he had not received any information regarding the conflict in the area. Galma noted that he would need to verify the situation before commenting on the matter. As of the time of filing this report, Galma has not provided any further updates or confirmation.

“I’m not aware of any challenges in the area,” Galma said.

Police spokesperson for Benue Command, CSP Catherine Anene, stated that she had not yet received any reports regarding the recent incident.

The unfortunate deaths reported from April 1 to May 17 of this year have reached a total of 174, raising concerns about the ongoing violence in the region. Local sources suggest that the actual number of casualties could be even higher due to unreported incidents in remote areas.

Multiple Local Government Areas (LGAs) have experienced violence during this period, including Gwer East, Guma, the Sankera axis (Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum), Otukpo, Gwer West, Kwande, Apa, Agatu, and Makurdi.

The Sankera axis has been the most severely affected, with 83 deaths recorded between April 17 and 21.

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