Insecurity worsens in Idoma land as gunmen strike more communities

Idoma land in Benue State is once again gripped by fear, grief and uncertainty as renewed attacks by suspected armed herdsmen and gunmen continue to leave a trail of blood, kidnappings and shattered livelihoods across communities.

Residents say the pattern is becoming frighteningly familiar: midnight invasions, sporadic gunfire, deaths, abductions and hours-long sieges, often with little or no security response.

Just days ago, unknown gunmen killed a retired Army Master Warrant Officer in his home in Asa 2, Otukpo.

In the latest attack that shocked the community on Tuesday morning, suspected herdsmen struck Otobi-Akpa again, killing another retired soldier, a politician and two other residents in an assault that lasted several hours.

Survivors said the attackers moved freely, shooting indiscriminately as families fled into nearby bushes for safety.

The latest killings reopened fresh wounds in a community still recovering from a similar assault months earlier, when at least 13 people were killed, dozens injured or declared missing, and more than 50 houses were razed.

But Otobi-Akpa is only one chapter in a growing story of insecurity across Idoma land.

Only a few days before the Otobi-Akpa killings, a Benue Links bus conveying passengers was ambushed along a major route in the area.

The bus came under heavy gunfire, leaving three persons critically injured after being shot.

As if attacks on homes and highways were not enough, local markets — the lifeline of rural economies — have also come under threat.

Market women were recently attacked while trading, forcing many to abandon their goods and flee.

For many families, these markets are their only source of income. “If we cannot farm and we cannot trade, how do we survive?” a resident asked, capturing the desperation spreading across the land.

In Edikwu-Ankpali community of Apa Local Government Area, youths narrowly prevented what could have been another bloodbath. On Monday, they reportedly confronted and chased away armed herders who attempted to overrun the community.

While the successful resistance was celebrated locally, elders warned that communities should not be forced to rely on self-help to survive. “Our youths cannot continue to face gunmen with bare hands,” one community leader said.

Across Idoma land, the message from residents is the same: they are tired, afraid and desperate for help.

Traditional rulers, youth leaders and community members are calling on the Benue State Government, security agencies and the Federal Government to urgently intervene.

They are demanding increased security presence, intelligence-driven operations, protection of highways and farmlands, and decisive action against those terrorising their communities.

“We are Nigerians. We deserve to sleep with our two eyes closed,” a resident of Otukpo said. “If nothing is done, more lives will be lost.”

Reacting to the attacks, an activist and citizen journalist, Meddy Olotu, decried what he described as the worrisome inaction of leaders from Benue South in the face of the persistent assaults on communities.

“This silence is dangerous,” he said. “Our people are being killed, displaced and traumatised, yet those elected to speak and act for Benue South have remained largely quiet. The continued inaction is emboldening the attackers and sending a message that Idoma lives do not matter.”

Olotu warned that if urgent steps are not taken, the cycle of violence would only worsen, leaving more communities vulnerable.