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A horrifying incident has unfolded in Udei town, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where suspected armed Fulani herdsmen reportedly killed one person and left another missing following an ambush on a group fetching firewood.
According to a widely shared Facebook post credited to Comrade Joseph Apahar Joo, Media and Publicity for IDP in Benue State, the victims included Mr. Kenneth Gbayier, a displaced native of Mbalagh taking refuge in Udei, and a young man from Saawuan Gboodo. They were accompanied by several women along the Yogbo Udei road near Tse Nyamkume when the group encountered the attackers.
Eyewitness accounts relayed through residents describe how the victims, focused on breaking down firewood, failed to notice the approaching assailants—referred to in the post as “aggressive fulanis” and “radical jihadist”—until it was too late. Kenneth Gbayier was allegedly seized, stripped of his clothing, and brutally macheted on his legs and head. The women in the group were captured and subjected to severe torture, while the unidentified young man fled into the bush as herdsmen pursued him. As of the report’s filing, he remains missing with no trace.
The post warns communities across Benue of an emerging pattern of danger, urging heightened caution when traveling on vulnerable routes. It describes the incident as “another beginning of disaster,” highlighting the ongoing threats faced by displaced persons and locals amid persistent insecurity in the region.
This latest violence adds to the long-standing tensions in Guma LGA, an area repeatedly hit by herder-farmer conflicts that have displaced thousands and claimed numerous lives over the years. Residents continue to call for stronger security measures to protect vulnerable groups engaging in daily subsistence activities like gathering firewood.
