In a heart-wrenching resurgence of violence, suspected armed herders have once again unleashed terror on farming communities in Benue State, killing four people, including a mother and her son, in separate attacks across Guma and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas.
The latest wave of bloodshed struck Tse-Nyibiam, a remote village near Ngban in Nyiev Council Ward, Guma LGA, where a family’s rice farming trip turned into a deadly ambush. Mlumun Igbawua and her son, Terkimbir Igbawua, were brutally murdered on their farmland on Saturday. Terkimbir’s wife, who was with them, narrowly escaped death but was left with severe injuries after being tortured by the attackers.
Tragically, this is not the first tragedy to hit the Igbawua family. Just three months ago, the family patriarch, Benjamin Iorhen Igbawua, was killed by armed herders on the same farmland. His body, still lying in the mortuary, serves as a grim reminder of the community’s continued vulnerability.
“This family has been completely shattered. First, the father was killed, and now the mother and their only son have been slaughtered by the same invaders,” lamented Jimin Geofrey, an aide to former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, while speaking to journalists.
Local authorities, led by Guma LGA Chairman Maurice Orwough, have visited the attack site. Orwough ensured that the surviving daughter-in-law received immediate medical treatment, but residents are demanding more than relief efforts—they want protection.
Just as Guma was reeling from its losses, Katsina-Ala LGA was hit by similar attacks. In Anchaha community and Agu Centre of Tin Mbatyula Council Ward, two more lives were lost to suspected herders. The victims, John Tsebo and Agber Solomon, were killed on consecutive days, July 31 and August 1, respectively, further deepening the crisis.
One resident, who chose to remain anonymous, decried the continuous attacks, stating, “We’ve lived under siege for six years. They kill our people, burn our farms, and now we’re farming just to feed their cows. It’s as if we no longer own our land.”
Repeated attempts to get an official response from the Benue State Police Command proved futile as calls to the spokesperson, Udeme Edet, went unanswered as of the time of reporting.
Benue State has been a flashpoint of herder-farmer conflicts, with residents of agrarian communities like Guma and Katsina-Ala often caught in the crossfire. The latest killings have once again raised concerns over the state’s security apparatus and the urgent need for decisive intervention.