Non-state Militia Attacks Worsen in Benue and Neighbouring Eha-Amufu, Enugu; Residents Condemn Government Silence

Herdsmen attacks and insecurity are worsening in Benue and neighbouring Enugu State, leaving communities devastated and residents displaced.

In response, thousands of enraged residents in Olena, Asa, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, have taken to the streets. They blocked major roads and demanded urgent government intervention. They decried the killings and kidnappings by herdsmen. According to a media report, the protesters chanted, “We no go gree!” as they voiced their frustrations over the worsening insecurity.

The protests erupted after days of sustained attacks. Many residents fled their homes. Locals reported that the community had been under siege for four days. Several people had been killed, and many others abducted.

A resident who managed to escape confirmed that many families abandoned their homes late Monday night. He said they left after realising that no help was coming.

I escaped with my family to Upu. The attackers have been killing and kidnapping at will. We kept calling for help, but none came,” he said.

He added that the assailants operated without challenge. The violence in Benue has persisted for years. A recent report by SBM Intelligence, A National Emergency: The Escalating Crisis of Pastoral Violence in Nigeria, warned that criminal herdsmen are shifting their focus southward. The report noted that Benue has recorded over 200 attacks since 2019. This cements its reputation as the epicentre of the crisis. Neighbouring Plateau State follows closely with 150 incidents. Both states form a conflict zone marked by massacres. The May 2023 killings in Mangu left 80 dead. The Christmas Eve attack in Bokkos killed 140 people.

Last week, fresh attacks in Kwande Local Government Area left at least five people dead. Gunmen stormed the communities of Mgbaigbe and Mbaitye in a coordinated assault. They reportedly ambushed a military patrol team and killed two soldiers. Several villages in Turan land, including Moon, Mbaikyor, Mbadura, Kumakwagh, and Yaav, have suffered repeated assaults. Residents have fled to Jato-Acka, where they are now taking refuge.

Retired Comptroller of Prisons and President General of Mdzough U Tiv Worldwide, Iorbee Ihagh, confirmed the attack. He warned that the Tiv nation was in danger.

If Jato-Acka falls, our ancestral home is lost. These Fulani attackers are gradually taking over Benue,” he said.

He commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for his developmental projects but urged him to prioritise security. Ihagh also called on the Tiv people to revive their traditional defence mechanisms.

In the 19th century, our ancestors used poisonous arrows to defeat the Fulani during the jihad war. We must stop running and defend ourselves,” he added.

Despite repeated appeals for intervention, the government has remained silent on the crisis. The Benue State Police Command spokesperson, Catherine Anene, neither confirmed nor denied the incident. She only stated that officers were on the ground managing the crisis.

The wave of violence has left many communities in turmoil. Residents are frustrated over the lack of government action. Fear grips affected areas as calls for urgent intervention continue to mount.

The violence extends beyond Benue into neighbouring Enugu State, where at least 44 farm settlements, known as ‘Ndiagu,’ have been overrun by suspected herdsmen, displacing residents and plunging communities into chaos. The affected areas in Enugu’s Isi-Uzo Local Government Area include Abor Ishala, Mgbuji, Agu-Amede, Eha-Agu, and Umuhu.

The latest and most populated farm settlement to come under attack was Ndiagu Amofia village in Umuhu Eha-Amufu autonomous community on February 28. Residents were forced to flee their homes and seek shelter in safer areas. In Abor, nine farm settlements were reportedly overrun, including Ogomungo, Ngele-Akpankpa, Okwum, Agerie, and Ezegwu-Abor. Similar patterns of displacement and occupation by armed assailants have been reported in Mgbuji, Agu-Amede, and Eha-Agu autonomous communities.

Despite repeated appeals for action, the government has remained largely silent. Residents lamented that security forces only appear after attacks to collect corpses. A community leader expressed fears that Fulani militias are planning to take over the entire Eha-Amufu region.

Mrs Angela Ogenyi, who spoke to SaharaReporters, confirmed that the death toll in these attacks had already surpassed 180 before the latest killings. She described how residents are still being killed while working on their farms, even when temporary peace appears to have been restored. Efforts to get the government’s attention on the persistent attacks have been unsuccessful.

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