At least 43 people were killed on Sunday evening in coordinated attacks on communities in Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas of Benue State.
Witnesses said armed militias stormed Tse Antswam, a community near Naka in Gwer West, around 7 p.m. The attackers opened fire on residents. A local pastor was among the victims.
At the same time, another group invaded Edikwu Ankpali in Apa LGA. They reportedly killed 25 people, including women and children. Locals said the victims were preparing for mass burial.
Unprovoked Attacks Leave Villages in Mourning
Reports revealed the crisis in Apa began earlier on Sunday. Armed herders invaded Ijaha Ibele Ochekwu, killing two people and injuring several others.
“After that incident, people fled,” said a resident. “When they thought it was over, the herders attacked Edikwu Ankpali around 5 p.m. They shot and killed defenceless people, including women and children. The attack was totally unprovoked.”
The attack in Gwer West also shocked many. A Pentecostal pastor was among those killed. Timothy Kume, Chairman of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria in Benue, confirmed the killing.
“It’s not that I don’t have the figure, but the one I have is old; as you know, the attack is happening nearly every day,” Kume said.
Amnesty International Reports 85 Deaths in One Week
Human rights group Amnesty International said at least 85 people were killed in Benue within one week. It reported that 42 died in previous attacks in Gwer West before the Sunday killings in Apa LGA.
Many residents are now fleeing their communities. Some villages have become completely deserted. Survivors say they live in constant fear without protection from security forces.
The victims of Sunday’s attack in Apa are set for mass burial. Locals are struggling with grief, trauma, and loss.
Benue Democratic Ambassadors Decry Government Silence
A group known as the Benue Democratic Ambassadors (BEDA) has condemned the government’s silence on the killings. The group held a press briefing in Makurdi on Monday.
Daniel Pila, BEDA’s National President, said over 20 out of Benue’s 23 LGAs are under militia control. “This is a full-blown siege,” he said. He urged the federal government to act.
Pila also raised concerns about the attack on Aondona, hometown of the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, Most Revd Wilfred Anagbe. The bishop had recently spoken to the U.S. Congress about the insecurity in Benue.
Despite repeated appeals for help, no government official has made a public statement, according to BEDA. The Benue State Police Command has not issued any comment.
Many in Benue now look to the international community for support, as the killings continue with no end in sight.
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