Benue Farmer Describes Terrifying Encounter with Herdsmen After His Firearms Jammed

A harrowing encounter with armed herdsmen has left a farmer from Amla community, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, identified as Adah, shaken, after they destroyed his cassava farm, attacked him, and took his valuables.

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Adah, who owns a two-hectare cassava farm in the community, had visited his farm to harvest produce for his family, only to discover that his crops and property had been extensively damaged by the herdsmen.

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Upon arrival at the farm, Adah found that the herdsmen had uprooted his cassava, intending to feed their cows with it, and had also cut down a large mango tree on the farm, setting the stage for a violent confrontation.

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A man armed with an AK-47 rifle suddenly appeared from near the mango tree, pointing his gun at Adah and ordering him to lie down, and was soon joined by another armed man with a gun and a long knife, who also threatened Adah.

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Despite being threatened, Adah explained to the attackers that he had only come to harvest food for his family, telling them that his cassava farm was the source of garri that had been sustaining them.

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The attackers, however, were unmoved by Adah's pleas, ordering him to obey their commands or face being shot, prompting Adah to defy their orders and start praying loudly instead.

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As Adah prayed, the attackers pointed their guns at his head and chest, pulling the trigger several times, but the guns allegedly failed to fire, leaving the attackers confused and frustrated.

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The herdsmen then switched to using knives, but when that also failed to intimidate Adah, they resorted to physical assault, beating him and inflicting wounds all over his body, before taking his money, phone, and motorbike.

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Adah eventually managed to escape from his attackers, giving thanks to God for saving his life, and has now raised the alarm over the growing threat posed by the herdsmen in the area.

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According to Adah, the herdsmen are gradually taking over Otukpo communities, forcing residents off their ancestral lands, and he appealed to the government and security agencies to take action before it is too late.

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Efforts to obtain a comment from the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report.