DEATH ZONE: 160 butchered within one month in Benue, Police, soldiers among victims

…as attacks spread across Benue

 – Police, soldiers among victims

– Bishops reject state of emergency

Benue State is under siege. In the space of just one month, no fewer than 160 lives have been snuffed out in a bloodbath that has spread across at least 12 Local Government Areas. From silent ambushes to full-scale village invasions, the killing spree—allegedly carried out by armed herdsmen—has left a trail of pain, panic, and despair. Among the dead are two soldiers and a popular police officer, alongside women, children, farmers, traders, and a traditional ruler.

The violence has also provoked widespread protests and calls for radical intervention. From grieving women in Apa to the Catholic clergy, Tiv professors, and humanitarian organisations, voices are rising in anguish and outrage.

A Timeline Written in Blood

The timeline of attacks reads like a horror script.

• May 2: Four villagers murdered in Akpete, Apa LGA.

• May 4: Two passengers killed, four others abducted along Adoka-Otukpo road, Otukpo LGA.

• May 6: APC chieftain Johnson Akaabo and six others slain in Gwer East and Makurdi.

• May 7: District Head of Odugbeho in Agatu, Chief Anthony Adejoh, and one other killed on their farms in Otobi-Akpa.

• May 10: 23 killed across Guma, Logo, Ukum, and Kwande LGAs.

• May 11: Seven more die in Buruku and Gwer West attacks.

• May 17: 15 traders ambushed and murdered between Ogwumogbo and Okpo’okpolo, Agatu.

• May 20: A PDP ward chairman and three others killed in Tse-Defam, Gwer West, and Guma.

• May 22: Two soldiers and two civilians killed in Ikobi, Apa LGA.

• May 24: Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongu shot and injured, two passengers abducted on Makurdi–Naka road.

• May 25: 42 massacred in Gwer West, including women, children, and a popular police officer.

• Same day: Three murdered in Tse Orjime, Makurdi North, sparking angry protests.

• June 2: Over 46 more lives lost in renewed attacks in Apa and Gwer West.

In response to the May 25 killings, enraged youths carried the corpses of victims to the home of their local lawmaker, demanding action. The Oweto–Apa–Adoka–Otukpo road was also taken over by armed men, with multiple kidnappings reported.

‘Come to Our Aid or We Die,’ Women Cry Out

In the wake of the killings, women under the banner of The Voice of the Voiceless Women in Apa staged a massive protest. Clutching placards reading “Fulani must go,” and “Apa a community of widows,” they called on the government to intervene.

In a letter titled “Notification of a Peaceful Demonstration,” they lamented the loss of their loved ones, destroyed farmlands, and disrupted education. “They come into our homes, our rooms, to butcher our children, husbands, and fellow women,” one protest leader said. “The government’s silence is too golden.”

Not a Crisis, But a War – Humanitarian Consortium Warns

The BENUE-RESPONSE humanitarian group, comprising ActionAid Nigeria, Plan International, Cordaid, and Jireh Doo Foundation, described the crisis as “a protracted tragedy reflecting a deeper national wound.”

Speaking in Makurdi, Country Director of ActionAid, Andrew Mamedu, said, “This is not a temporary emergency. These are not just statistics—they are people. Benue is bleeding.”

The group’s findings showed displacement on a massive scale, with communities losing both lives and livelihoods. “Fields left unplanted. Futures thrown into limbo,” he added.

Professors Back Self-Defense

The Forum of Ayatutu Professors, a group of Tiv intellectuals, said it was time for the people to defend themselves. In a statement signed by Prof. Tor Iorapuu and Prof. Simon Irtwange, they called the attacks a combination of land grabbing, islamisation, and economic sabotage.

“The government has failed. Communities must organize to defend their lives and land. Our culture, economy, and future are under assault,” the group warned.

Catholic Priests Accuse Military of Complicity

In a damning statement, the Makurdi Diocese of the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association said at least 50 of their members and parishioners had been killed, with 15 parishes shut down.

Revd Fr. Joseph Beba, chair of the association, said the military in some communities looked the other way while the atrocities happened. “Even priests are not spared. Churches are closed, believers scattered,” he lamented.

Hope Rekindled as Army Chief Steps In

In what many see as a turning point, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oloyede, relocated to Makurdi with his principal staff officers. He met Governor Hyacinth Alia and visited affected communities, promising decisive action.

Benue Police Commissioner, Ifeanyi Emenari, also gave matching orders to officers to hunt down the perpetrators.

Open Grazing Law: A Line in the Sand

Meanwhile, social commentator Francis Odiir has called on the state government to fully enforce the 2017 Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law. He blamed the current wave of violence on the government’s decision to relax enforcement.

“If the military backs the law, peace will begin to return,” he said. “Without that, the killings will continue.”

The bloodbath in Benue is no longer just a security crisis—it is a humanitarian emergency, a political indictment, and a moral scar on the conscience of a nation. The cries for justice are loud, and time is running out. Whether through government intervention, community defense, or international pressure, something must give. For now, the land weeps, and the people wait.