Index to Nigerian Newspapers

At least six people have been killed in the Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State due to attacks by suspected armed herders. Among the victims was a retired Warrant Officer, killed in Asa 2, and five others, including a former councillor, killed during a Tuesday morning attack. Local authorities attributed these attacks to bandits posing as herders, and community volunteers had been on alert following an earlier kidnapping attempt. The attackers looted food and valuables during their assaults, and the state has witnessed a surge in violence from armed groups, linked by some to the aftermath of US airstrikes on ISWAP camps and seasonal migrations of herders seeking grazing land. Authorities are investigating the incidents and seeking to apprehend the attackers.

The Otukpo Local Government Area in Benue State has experienced a series of deadly bandit attacks, resulting in the deaths of at least six people, including a retired army officer and a former councillor. These incidents occurred between Sunday and early Tuesday, with the attackers believed to be bandits posing as herders. They carried out shootings and abducted a woman and a child, while also looting valuables from communities. Local officials have condemned these assaults, highlighting a pattern of violence exacerbated by migration of herders into the area, and underscoring the ongoing threat to residents as security forces continue investigations and patrols to prevent further incidents.

No fewer than two individuals were killed in an attack by suspected armed herders in Kwande Local Government Area, Benue State. The assault occurred on Saturday as victims returned from Jato-Aka market to Nzaav community, with eyewitnesses attributing the attack to Fulani herdsmen. The remains of the deceased were reported to have deep wounds, prompting concern over the ongoing violence in the area. Kwande LGA Chairman Yarkwan Tersua called for urgent government intervention, emphasizing the recurring nature of these killings and the community's vulnerability amid frequent assaults. Efforts to contact state spokesperson DSP Udeme Edet for comments were unsuccessful. The violence against people in Benue has persisted despite presidential orders to halt such attacks.