Suspected Herders Kill Five Farmers in Kwande, Benue State

Suspected armed herders launched a deadly attack on Tuesday evening, January 7, 2026, in Udeku Maav-Ya community, Mbakyol Council Ward, Turan district of Kwande Local Government Area, Benue State, killing at least five farmers. The assault occurred around 4 pm as residents harvested yams and bambara nuts, disrupting the peak harvest season and heightening fears over food security in the agrarian region.

Local sources, including former Supervisory Councillor Akerigba Lawrence, decried the persistent assaults, noting that communities face ongoing destruction of crops, homes, economic trees, and restricted access to water sources. Schools, churches, and markets have shut down due to repeated attacks. Identified victims include Tyoazua Gyuse, Gbaga Gyuse, and Tersuur Ijighka, with the names of the remaining two yet to be confirmed. Search operations continue for residents reported missing.

Kwande Local Government Chairman Tersua Yarkwan confirmed the killings, stating that the attackers lingered after the assault, escalating local tensions. He described the area as a vulnerable border region sharing an international boundary with Cameroon, where difficult terrain hampers security operations. Yarkwan lamented the timing of the attacks during harvest season, warning of severe threats to food security.

The incident has renewed concerns about the seasonal influx of armed herders into Benue communities during the dry season, a pattern that has fueled longstanding farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Efforts to reach the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer for comment were unsuccessful at the time of reporting. As grief grips the affected community, calls mount for enhanced security measures to protect lives and livelihoods in Kwande and surrounding areas.