Suspected Herdsmen Kill 42, Including Police Officer, in Coordinated Attacks on Benue Communities
Tragedy struck in Benue State over the weekend as armed men suspected to be marauding herdsmen launched a series of coordinated and brutal attacks on four agrarian communities in Gwer-West Local Government Area, leaving no fewer than 42 people dead, including a mobile police officer. The attacks, which spanned Saturday night through Sunday, targeted Aondona, Ahume, Tyolaha, and Tse Ubiam villages, unleashing terror and devastation on the unsuspecting residents.
The violence has drawn outrage and widespread condemnation, as the scale and coordination of the attacks point to a growing security crisis in the region. According to residents and local officials, the assailants arrived in large numbers and opened fire indiscriminately, killing farmers, women, children, and the elderly.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Benue State Command, SP Catherine Anene, said the police were aware of the attacks and that a mobile police officer, identified as Officer Magaji, died heroically while attempting to defend one of the villages under siege.
“Note also that a policeman died defending one of the villages just a few hours before this incident in Gwer-West Local Government Area,” Anene stated in an official communication.
Local sources said the gunmen struck under the cover of darkness, catching residents unprepared. A witness, who identified himself simply as Terhemba, told our correspondent under condition of anonymity that the attackers stormed the communities on Saturday night and resumed their onslaught early Sunday morning, firing at anyone in sight.
“It was a coordinated massacre,” he said. “Pregnant women were killed. Children as young as two years old were not spared. The aged were gunned down in their homes. At least 42 people died on the spot, and many others are missing or critically injured.”
Another local resident, Iorver, recounted that Tyolaha and Tse Ubiam were attacked on Saturday, claiming the lives of at least 12 farmers. On Sunday, the communities of Ahume and Aondona were targeted, with over 10 persons reportedly killed in Ahume and about 20 more in Aondona alone.
The aftermath of the attack has forced a mass exodus of residents from the affected areas. Many have fled to Naka, the administrative headquarters of Gwer-West, and to Makurdi, the Benue State capital, in search of safety and shelter.
Search and rescue efforts began immediately, spearheaded by the Gwer-West Local Government Chairman, Mr. Victor Ormin, in collaboration with community stakeholders in Nagi. As of Monday morning, at least 42 corpses had been recovered from the various attack sites. Rescue teams are still combing the affected areas for the missing and the wounded.
Speaking to journalists in the aftermath of the attacks, Chairman Ormin condemned the violence in the strongest terms, describing it as “a clear case of genocide” against the people of Benue.
“It’s a pathetic situation. As we speak, we are still recovering corpses. Over 30 bodies were recovered between Sunday and Monday morning alone,” he said. “Tse Ubiam, just three kilometers from Naka and near a military checkpoint, was attacked on Saturday. I buried five people yesterday. Five others were taken to the mortuary on Saturday. We are now talking about over 40 deaths. This is genocide.”
In a disturbing revelation, Ormin alleged that despite the presence of military personnel stationed in parts of the local government, they failed to intervene or repel the attackers. He claimed soldiers told him they lacked the mandate to engage unless they were directly fired upon, and that only the President—not even the governor—could authorize them to act.
“The soldiers said they don’t have the mandate to act unless fired upon. They told me even the governor doesn’t have the authority to give them orders; only the President can. It’s clear these soldiers are not incompetent—they’re just waiting for orders that have not come,” he lamented.
Chairman Ormin also confirmed the death of the slain police officer, Mobile Officer Magaji, who was reportedly stationed at a checkpoint on the Naka road and was killed while trying to defend the community with insufficient ammunition.
“This officer was dedicated to duty. He was always stationed at that junction on Naka road. On Sunday, he ran out of ammunition and was urging residents to flee. Unfortunately, he was killed. This is genocide,” Ormin said emotionally.
The Aondona community, one of the hardest hit, is notably the hometown of the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi, His Lordship, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, and former Benue State First Lady, Mrs. Eunice Ortom. The connection has further intensified the grief and attention surrounding the massacre.
Calls for federal intervention have intensified, with local leaders and residents demanding immediate and decisive action to protect lives and restore order. Human rights groups and civil society organizations have also begun mobilizing to draw national attention to what they describe as the persistent neglect of Benue’s security situation.
As the state continues to count its dead, the people of Gwer-West and surrounding communities remain on edge, with many fearing further attacks if urgent security reinforcements are not deployed.