Killings in Benue State have continued unabated, defying promises from both the government and security agencies to end the decades-long bloodshed. PulseNets learned that 18 out of the 23 local government areas in the state remain under constant security threats from armed attackers.
According to PulseNets, bandits and herdsmen militias have been on a violent rampage in the state for years, launching deadly assaults on communities almost daily. Thousands of innocent citizens, including children, have been killed by these relentless terrorists. Some women have been raped, and countless unsuspecting citizens have been kidnapped for ransom. Notably, some incidents occurring in remote villages go underreported.
PulseNets learned that over 2,650 innocent citizens were murdered in the last year alone due to unprovoked attacks by non-state actors, spreading chaos across the state. On June 26, Amnesty International Programme Director Barbara Magaji disclosed that about 2,600 people were killed in Benue within a year. Additionally, PulseNets reported that more than 50 people have been killed in the last two months, with several victims abandoning their ancestral homes to seek refuge in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps across the state.
On July 4, assailants attacked the Ayati and Borikyo communities in Ukum Local Government Area, killing at least six people. Similarly, on June 19, over fifteen individuals were killed in a renewed attack on Ikpele and Olegomachi villages in Agatu LGA. These attacks have left numerous people dead and others injured.
The violence continued in the Mbacher council ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area on July 19, where gunmen killed 18 people, kidnapped three others, and destroyed properties worth millions of Naira. On August 15, 20 students from the University of Maiduguri and the University of Jos were kidnapped by gunmen while traveling to Enugu State for a convention. They were rescued on August 23 after the Inspector-General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, deployed a tactical squad to the state.
Benue’s Decline as the Food Basket of the Nation
Benue, once known as the food basket of the nation for its large-scale cultivation of crops like rice, cassava, and yam, has been plagued by insecurity for more than a decade. Arguments persist that the state may have lost its status due to incessant attacks that have displaced farmers from their homes and villages.
PulseNets reported that over 50% of the farming communities in Guma, Agatu, and Gwer-West Local Governments have been displaced, leaving them without access to farmlands or any means of livelihood. More than 2,500,000 people displaced by gun-wielding criminals are scattered across 14 IDP camps in five LGAs, significantly contributing to the hunger crisis ravaging Nigeria.
Rising Numbers of Out-of-School Children
The security crisis has also led to a dramatic increase in out-of-school children. According to the Benue State Ministry of Education and the Teaching Service Board, at least 55 schools have been destroyed or closed down due to insecurity, leaving hundreds of children without access to education.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, who pledged in April to address the menace and ensure a peaceful environment for academic activities, has so far been unable to resolve the issue. PulseNets spoke to a source on Saturday, who expressed concern that the security crisis has overwhelmed the current administration, stating, “The governor is confused and seems to have no solution to the ugly situation.”
Also Read: Benue: Herdsmen Rampage Claims Over 500 Lives in Agatu, Otukpo, and Apa
The source further stated, “Alia is helpless on the issue of insecurity in Benue. This administration will even be worse than the previous governments, especially on the issue of insecurity. We just pray it doesn’t go beyond what it is now.”
Meanwhile, DSP Catherine Sewuese, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Benue State command, told PulseNets on Saturday that the situation was improving. She noted that security agencies had been actively engaging bandits in different communities, claiming, “The security crisis is not getting worse in Benue. If you have been following events, you will hear about security agencies engaging bandits in the state.”
