Nigeria: Many Feared Killed in Fresh Attacks On Benue Communities

What the report says

At least several people were feared killed and others injured after armed attackers struck multiple communities in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State in the early hours of Sunday, according to Daily Trust, as republished by AllAfrica. Residents said the assailants targeted at least six villages in Mbaterem council ward, including Ayaba, Ukpen, Bom, Ikpur, Aboajio and Yina, beginning around 4:30 a.m. The attack reportedly sent residents fleeing into nearby bushes for safety.

Ukum LGA chairman Jonathan Modi said security operatives responded quickly and that the situation was brought under control by later in the day. He said bodies and injured victims were being evacuated to hospital, and that additional security personnel had been deployed to areas considered at risk. Benue police also confirmed an attack in the area but said details were still being collected.

Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the assault and expressed sympathy to families affected. In remarks quoted by his office, he said the state would keep supporting security agencies and urged residents to report suspicious movements promptly. He also warned those behind repeated violence in the state that they would not succeed in disrupting the peace process.

The report adds to broader insecurity concerns in Benue, a state that has faced recurring deadly attacks in recent years, often linked by local officials to armed herders. That wider context, while not independently verified in this report, helps explain why attacks on rural communities in the region draw strong concern from authorities and residents alike.