Fresh sorrow has swept through parts of Benue State as suspected herdsmen launched renewed attacks on two communities in Agatu and Apa Local Government Areas, leaving at least four people dead.
In the late hours of Monday, Sunday Dutse, a young man from Odejo in Agatu, was reportedly gunned down along the Odugbeho–Ogbaulu road. Dutse, who had previously fled the area due to similar violence, had been living in temporary safety in Ogwule-Kaduna, another village in the same LGA. His return home was cut short by bullets.
“He was only trying to reconnect with his roots,” a grieving family source said. “Now we are planning his burial.”
Earlier in the day, the calm of EdikwG’Icho in Apa LGA was shattered when three young men were ambushed and killed. Two of the victims were natives of the community, while the third came from Ugbokpo. The attackers reportedly struck without warning, leaving the community in fear and mourning.
These latest killings occurred just days after the Chief of Army Staff visited Benue and pledged to bolster security in the region. That promise now rings hollow for many residents.
“They said they will protect us,” said a local youth leader. “But the guns keep speaking louder than the promises.”
Despite repeated assurances from federal and state authorities, rural communities in Benue continue to suffer the brunt of Nigeria’s deepening farmer-herder crisis. Locals are now calling for not just promises, but action: visible troops, early warnings, and justice.
As of press time, there has been no official comment from military or government sources regarding the fresh incidents.