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What began as a solemn journey to bury a loved one turned into a nightmare on Friday evening when suspected Fulani herdsmen ambushed a group of mourners escorting a corpse from Igumale to Ulayi town in Ado Local Government Area.
The attackers struck along a lonely stretch of road, firing sporadically and sending the funeral procession into panic. Two mourners – Hon. Philip Okpekwu and Benedict Ogaba – sustained gunshot wounds in the assault. The gunmen also made away with a motorcycle belonging to one of the victims, further compounding the grief of a community already in mourning.
News of the attack spread rapidly across Benue South Senatorial District, reigniting raw anger and fear in a region that has borne the brunt of recurring herdsmen violence for years. Residents in Ado, Agatu, Apa, and Otukpo have described the incident as one more proof that the security situation remains dangerously fragile despite repeated assurances from both state and federal authorities.
Community leaders and families of the victims have strongly condemned the ambush, calling it a deliberate act of terror aimed at intimidating locals and deepening the cycle of displacement. Many are now demanding immediate and decisive deployment of security forces to the axis, insisting that vulnerable rural roads and farming communities can no longer be left at the mercy of armed intruders.
As of Saturday morning, the two injured victims are receiving treatment at an undisclosed medical facility, while the stolen motorcycle has not been recovered. No official statement has been released by the police or the Benue State Government, but pressure is mounting for swift investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators.
For the people of Ado, yesterday’s attack has turned a day of burial into yet another scar on a land that has seen too many tears.
