Gunmen have reportedly killed 19 individuals in a renewed attack on communities in the Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
Locals allege that the violence began on Saturday when 16 farmers were ambushed and killed along Kashimbila Road while returning to their community in Mbandwa ward; their bodies were reportedly discarded into a river.
Another assault took place on Monday afternoon in Boaguwa, Kumakua council ward of Kwande LGA, claiming three more lives and prompting many residents to flee to the rural town of Jato Aka for safety.
A resident of Kwande, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed the attack, stating: “The farmers were returning home when they were ambushed. Their bodies were dumped in the river.”
The President General of Mzough U Tiv Worldwide and leader of Benue’s three major socio-cultural groups—Mzough U Tiv, Ochi’ Idoma, and Om’Ngede—a retired Comptroller of Prisons, Iorbee Ihagh, who is from the area, confirmed the attacks to journalists in Makurdi on Monday evening.
Ihagh, speaking from Jato Aka, expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation in Kwande. He said, “I was informed that 16 farmers were killed at the weekend and their bodies thrown into the River Katsina Ala. Just today, three more have been killed in Boaguwa. People have fled their homes, and I doubt if Jato Aka itself is safe.”
Ihagh further revealed that all six council wards in Turan, Kwande LGA, had been overrun by gunmen, calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently deploy more troops to restore order in the area.
Efforts to obtain an official response from the Benue State government proved difficult at the time of writing.
The Chairman of Kwande LGA, Terhile Vitalis Neji, could not be reached by telephone despite repeated attempts.
Additionally, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security, Joseph Har, referred inquiries to the Director General of Homeland Security, Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuan (retd.). However, Gbamwuan’s phone was unreachable.
Similarly, attempts to contact the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful.
