Suspected armed herders have killed five people in a fresh attack on the Tse Ameen community in Mbapa Council Ward, Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to locals, the attackers invaded the sleepy community on Saturday night, unleashing violence on residents. Five bodies three males and two females were recovered on Sunday, while many others were reported missing as of Monday.
One local resident, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity in a telephone interview on Monday, confirmed the grim discovery. “Five corpses, which included three males and two females, were recovered yesterday (Sunday),” the source said.
The state police spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, also confirmed the incident, stating that four dead bodies were recovered in the attack.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, while hosting recently rescued abducted passengers at the Government House on Sunday, sympathised with the people of the affected local government and urged security agents to ensure the perpetrators are apprehended.
The latest killings have once again thrown the community into mourning and heightened fears among residents already grappling with persistent insecurity in rural parts of Gwer West. This incident adds to the recurring cycle of violence in Benue State, where farming communities continue to bear the brunt of attacks often attributed to suspected armed herders.
As families bury their loved ones and search for the missing, calls for stronger security presence and decisive action against the assailants continue to grow in the region.
