Suspected Herders Kill Policeman, Eight Others in Benue

Nine persons, including a police officer, have been killed in a renewed attack by suspected herders in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State.

According to local sources, the attackers invaded four communities — Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, Olegagbani, and Ikpele — all located along the Benue-Kogi border. The assaults, which reportedly began last Friday, persisted through the weekend and into Tuesday.

“The attacks started last Friday at Okwutanobe, where two people were killed. On Saturday, they attacked Okpokpolo and killed one person. On Monday, they struck Olegagbani, killing one more person. Today, they attacked Ikpele, killing a police officer and four others. As we speak, people are fleeing their homes,” one source said.

The Chairman of Agatu LGA, Hon. Melvin Ejeh, confirmed the three-day wave of violence, stating that four people were killed across Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, and Olegagbani, while five more, including a police officer, were killed in Ikpele on Tuesday.

“We totally condemn these attacks. I believe they are reprisals following earlier reports of cattle rustling in Agatu communities. We are appealing to the herders to allow the government time to investigate these allegations rather than take the law into their own hands,” Ejeh said.

While commending security operatives for their efforts to contain the violence, Ejeh pointed out that poor road infrastructure in Agatu poses a serious challenge to rapid response efforts.

“You know the roads in Agatu are bad. Even when security personnel receive distress calls, it can take them up to four hours to reach some areas due to the difficult terrain. By that time, the attackers would have carried out their mission and escaped,” he added.

As of press time, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, SP Udeme Edet, had not officially confirmed the attacks. He, however, indicated that the command was investigating the incident.