Suspected herdsmen kill over 20 in fresh Benue attack

At least 20 people have reportedly lost their lives following renewed attacks by suspected armed herdsmen on a community in Benue State.

The latest assault occurred on Thursday night in Mbachom community, Jato-Aka, located in the Turan axis of Kwande Local Government Area, where gunmen suspected to be herders invaded the settlement.

Local residents said the scale of the killings became evident on Friday morning when villagers and search teams began recovering bodies from different locations in the community.

According to sources, more than ten corpses were reportedly discovered inside a single household, suggesting that the victims were killed during the overnight attack.

The assailants are believed to be suspected Fulani herdsmen, although the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear.

Community members said volunteers have continued to comb nearby bushes and surrounding areas in search of additional victims.

Several persons who sustained injuries during the attack are said to be receiving treatment in nearby health facilities, while others remain missing, raising concerns that the death toll could increase.

Residents noted that the attack is separate from an earlier incident that took place on Thursday morning in Mbaav community, situated in Mbadura Ward of Turan district, also in Kwande Local Government Area.

During that earlier assault, at least six villagers were reportedly killed.

Later the same night, two more bodies were recovered in Mbachom community, further escalating tension across the affected settlements.

With the latest discoveries, residents estimate that the combined fatalities from the attacks on Mbaav in Mbadura and Mbachom in Yaav Council Ward have now risen beyond 20.

As search efforts continue, community members are appealing for urgent intervention by security agencies to prevent further violence in the area.

Attempts to reach the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Udeme Edet, for confirmation were unsuccessful, as calls to her mobile phone were not returned.