Six people have been reported k!lled in attacks by suspected herdsmen in the Okpamaju community of Okete Ward and the Asa settlement of Ewulo Ward in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Lawmaker Kennedy Angbo, representing the Otukpo-Akpa constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, informed Channels Television that the violence, which has lasted for three days, has left many injured, displaced, and caused widespread destruction of communities.
Angbo expressed concern that the attacks have destabilized public peace in the area, impacting academic activities at the Federal University of Health Sciences in Otukpo, where students have been living in fear due to threats of further violence against the institution.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Benue State, Sewuese Anene, confirmed the incident, stating that two of the six deaths occurred on Wednesday, February 5. She attributed the violence to a clash that erupted over alleged open grazing on farms in the Okpamaju area of Okete Ward. Villagers had reportedly complained about the grazing, which led to the deadly confrontation.
Benue State has faced persistent attacks by suspected herdsmen for over a decade. Although Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration claims to have made significant strides in addressing the violence, attacks on farmers continue, with many villagers living in constant fear of armed herders.