Suspected armed herders have reportedly killed five farmers in Udeku Maav-Ya community, Mbakyol Council Ward, Turan district of Kwande Local Government Area, Benue State.
Local sources said the attack occurred while residents were harvesting yams and bambara nuts, throwing the agrarian community into mourning and fear.
A resident, who identified himself simply as Terna, said the attack disrupted normal activities in the area as farmers fled their fields for safety.
“It happened while people were harvesting their crops. Everyone ran for their lives, and activities in the community came to a standstill,” he said.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Kwande Local Government Area, Tersua Yarkwan, said five persons were killed during the attack, noting that the assailants did not immediately withdraw after carrying out the assault.
“The attackers did not leave immediately after the attack, and this caused serious tension in the area,” Yarkwan said.
He described Kwande as a vulnerable border local government that shares an international boundary with Cameroon, adding that the difficult terrain has continued to hamper effective security operations.
“The continued attacks during harvest season are a serious threat to food security. Our people are afraid to go to their farms,” the council chairman lamented.
Also confirming the killings, a former Supervisory Councillor in the local government, Akerigba Lawrence, decried what he described as persistent attacks on the community.
“Our people are constantly under attack. Crops, homes and economic trees are destroyed, and access to water sources is often restricted,” Lawrence said.
He identified three of the victims as Tyozua Gyuse, Gbaga Gyuse and Tersuur Ijighka, adding that the identities of two others were yet to be confirmed.
Lawrence further disclosed that search operations were ongoing to locate some residents who were declared missing as of the time of filing this report.
According to him, repeated attacks have forced the closure of schools, churches and markets in the area, further worsening the humanitarian situation.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful, as calls to her phone did not connect at the time of filing this report.
The latest killings have renewed concerns over the influx of armed herders into Benue communities, a trend residents say often intensifies during the dry season.
