In a heartbreaking incident that has once again underscored the persistent security challenges in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, two brothers, Godwin Tyonum and Ortwer Tyonum, were killed in an attack on their family farm in Tse-Lafia, a community near the railway line about five kilometers from Daudu in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attack occurred on Sunday, December 21, 2025, while the brothers were working on the farm. Eyewitnesses reported that suspected herdsmen armed with machetes ambushed them, leading to a brutal assault. Ortwer Tyonum, a 100-level student studying Entrepreneurial Education at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi (formerly Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi), was killed on the spot.
His younger brother, Godwin Tyonum, a recent graduate in Agribusiness from the same university who had completed his studies the previous year and was awaiting mobilization for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in 2026, sustained severe injuries. He was rushed to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi but unfortunately succumbed to his wounds shortly after arrival.
This incident has deepened fears among residents in Guma LGA and surrounding areas, where farmer-herder clashes have been a recurring source of violence for years. Locals have called on security agencies to intensify efforts to investigate the attack and apprehend those responsible, emphasizing the need for justice and stronger measures to prevent further bloodshed.
The deaths of the Tyonum brothers add to the toll of lives lost in Benue State amid ongoing tensions over land and resources. Communities continue to grapple with the trauma of such attacks, highlighting the urgent need for lasting solutions to restore peace and security in the region. Our thoughts are with the bereaved family and the people of Tse-Lafia during this difficult time.
