Six individuals have been reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen in the Okpamaju community of Okete Ward and the Asa settlement in Ewulo Ward, both located in Otukpo Local Government Area, Benue State.
Kennedy Angbo, the lawmaker representing the Otukpo-Akpa constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, informed Channels Television that three consecutive days of attacks on his constituency have resulted in numerous injuries, displacement of residents, and the destruction of communities.
Angbo further highlighted that the attacks have disrupted public peace in the area, including academic activities at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, where students are living in fear due to threats to the institution’s safety.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Benue State, Sewuese Anene, confirmed the incident, reporting that two individuals were killed on Wednesday.
Anene attributed the violence to disputes over alleged open grazing on farmland in the Okpamaju area of Okete Ward, Otukpo.
She explained that villagers had raised concerns about grazing on their farms, which escalated into a clash resulting in the fatalities.
Benue State has faced persistent attacks by suspected herdsmen over the past decade. While Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration claims to have made significant progress in addressing the violence, incidents of farmer killings continue, leaving many villages vulnerable to armed herders.