Gunmen suspected to be Fulani-tribe land grabbers unleashed violence on Sunday evening in Benue State, Nigeria, leaving at least 13 people dead across two separate communities.
The attacks targeted Egwuma village in Agatu County (Local Government Area) and Tse Iyo in Sengev Council Ward of Gwer West County.
In Egwuma, conflicting reports emerged regarding the number of casualties. Locals claimed 12 villagers were killed in the unprovoked assault. However, police authorities placed the death toll at five. Lawmaker Godwin Edoh, representing the Agatu constituency, condemned the violence and urged the government to take decisive action to end the bloodshed. As Vanguard has reported, the Agatu area has been a “killing field” since 2013 for invading Fulani tribesmen who seek to displace the local native tribes and settle their lands for cattle herding.
The other attack in Tse Iyo left a clearer picture of devastation. One person was confirmed dead, another injured, and five remain missing.
These attacks add another grim chapter to the long history of deadly attacks by Fulani herders on sleeping Christian communities in Benue State over access to land and grazing rights.
—Ezinwanne Onwuka reports for TruthNigeria from Abuja.
“The villagers had left their communities for fear of attacks and the security agents are not doing enough to address this development,” Edoh said.
