Tragedy strikes: Nine family members, 18 additional victims lose their lives in violent incidents in Benue and Plateau states

Suspected terrorists unleashed a wave of violence in Benue and Plateau states over the weekend, claiming the lives of at least 27 people, including nine members of the same family and a two-month-old baby, in a devastating series of attacks that have reignited concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the North-Central region.

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In Benue State, suspected armed herdsmen carried out separate attacks on communities in Otukpo Local Government Area, killing at least 18 people in what appeared to be reprisal attacks, prompting widespread outrage and protests from angry youths who carried the corpses of the victims to the palace of the Och’Idoma and major roads.

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The attacks began on Friday when terrorists invaded Akpachi village in Ugboju community, killing two farmers on their farmland, with their bodies recovered on Saturday and buried, only for the gunmen to strike again barely 24 hours later, invading Otukpo-Nobi community at around 4 a.m. on Sunday and killing at least 16 people, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

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The latest bloodshed came just two weeks after the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Ardo Mohammed, and his companion, Yakubu Isah, who were ambushed and murdered at Okutu community in Otukpo while returning from a peace meeting in Idekpa, Ohimini Local Government Area.

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The killings sparked widespread anger, with protesting youths storming the palace of the Och’Idoma with the victims’ corpses, disrupting an ongoing church service and demanding decisive action to halt the recurring attacks, chanting war songs and accusing authorities of failing to protect their communities.

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The demonstration brought activities in Otukpo to a standstill, with major roads blocked, leaving commuters stranded for hours, as a resident, Ebi Adoyi, appealed to the Federal Government and the Benue State Government to urgently deploy more security personnel to the area.

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Adoyi described the attacks, saying "After killing two people in Ikpachi on Friday, this morning, they attacked Otukpo Nobi killing 16 persons including women and children, my neighbour lost her elder sister and her children in that attack, and the figure may be higher because search is still ongoing for missing people."

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He added that "Angry youths have taken over all the roads leading in and out of Otukpo, and the protest will continue in the days to come because we are tired of these killings without any tangible action from the authorities."

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Confirming the attacks, Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, linked the incident to possible reprisals following the killing of the MACBAN chairman, saying "You know, I am sure the news of the death of Ardo Risku Mohammed is no longer news to you, and with the mindset of the people we are dealing with, you should also know that reprisals will likely occur."

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Ogiri explained that the first attack occurred on Friday when three villagers went to their farms in Akpachi, where "The bandits came and killed two of them, one escaped and alerted the community, we recovered the corpses on Saturday and buried them, we had combed the bushes believing the attackers had fled, but very early this Sunday morning, around 4 a.m., we received reports that they had besieged Otukpo-Nobi, killing several people and injuring many others."

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Ogiri appealed for calm, saying efforts were underway to prevent further violence, and "We are trying to calm the youths so that they do not vent their anger on innocent passers-by, they took the bodies of the victims to the palace of the Och’Idoma as part of their protest, when people are afraid and feel helpless, it is difficult to predict how they will react, this is simply their immediate response to the tragedy."

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Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings, describing them as "barbaric attacks on Akpachi village and Otukpo-Nobi community" in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, and lamenting that the attacks occurred despite efforts by his administration, traditional rulers and security agencies to restore peace.

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Alia assured the people that "Your lives are precious, and I can assure you that your ancestral lands will not be surrendered to fear, my government stands firmly with you, and we will not allow our communities to be turned into killing fields, we urge every citizen to cooperate with the police and military by providing timely and credible intelligence, security is a collective responsibility, and your information is a vital tool in our defence."

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In Plateau State, suspected gunmen killed nine members of the same family, including a two-month-old baby, during a late Saturday night attack on Kum and Wereng-Camp communities in Riyom Local Government Area, with the attack reportedly starting at about 11:30 p.m. and lasting for over one hour.

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The village head of the community was also critically injured, and a resident, Precious Tok, said the victims were slaughtered in their home during the coordinated attack, describing it as one of the deadliest assaults witnessed in the area in recent times.

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Tok said the gunmen invaded the communities in large numbers, shooting indiscriminately and forcing terrified residents to flee into nearby bushes, as the National Publicity Secretary of the Berom Youth Moulders Association, Rwang Tengwong, confirmed that the attack wiped out nine members of one family, including a two-month-old infant, while the village head sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to hospital.

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Tengwong said security agencies had been alerted and expressed hope that the perpetrators would be apprehended, as the latest attack has thrown the affected communities into mourning, with residents urging the Federal Government and the Plateau State Government to strengthen security across Riyom and other vulnerable communities to halt the recurring attacks.

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As of the time of filing this report, security personnel had reportedly been deployed to the affected communities, while many residents remained displaced and fearful of further attacks, and efforts to obtain official confirmation from the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful.