Gov. Alia Pleads for Intervention by Nigerian Army to Defend Residents of Benue
By Mike Odeh James and Olikita Ekani
(Makurdi) Samuel Aseer Udam had just completed his medical degree and returned to his ancestral home in search of work and to support his impoverished family. But the promise of safety in Naka, Gwer-West County’s chief city in Nigeria’s Benue State, was short-lived. The 29-year-old’s hopes were shattered when armed Fulani militants struck his deserted village, Agbo Vengav Udam, on Thursday, April 24, 2025, killing seven people, including five of his brothers.
As the attacks proceeded, Gov. Hyacinth Alia called upon the Federal Government to treat repeated attacks on Christian farming communities by jihadist militia of the Fulani ethnicity in Ukum County as a “national emergency.” By Friday night, the death toll had reached 72, according to Sahara Reporters. But the Nigerian army and local community guards were already overwhelmed with simultaneous raids on villages in Gwer West, in West-Central Benue State. The widespread land-grabbing attacks have tormented the majority-Catholic communities in Benue State for more than six years, according to media reports.
“In one day, I lost my brothers—Terhemba, Iorlaha, Shima, Atsembe, and Iorumbul,” Udam told TruthNigeria, his voice trembling. “They had only returned with others to work their farms after months in hiding. The Fulani men were grazing cattle peacefully, so they thought it was safe. But as they returned around 6:40 p.m., they were ambushed by 17 armed men.”
According to Udam, the attackers emerged from multiple directions and opened fire on the unsuspecting farmers. Two others, including a mutilated infant, were found dead. The mother of the infant, alongside several residents, was kidnapped.
Survivor Confirms Militants’ Identity
Shimaer Kaagba, one of two survivors recovering at a hospital in Naka, confirmed the attackers’ identity. “They were Fulani jihadists. They spoke Hausa and Fufulde and chanted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as they fired,” Kaagba told TruthNigeria before breaking down. Udam said local youth and police from Naka organized a rescue mission the following day, recovering the bodies and evacuating the wounded.
19 Passengers Kidnapped in Nearby Jor Community
Just hours earlier, in Jor—less than three kilometers northwest of Naka—Fulani gunmen reportedly abducted 19 passengers traveling in two commercial buses. According to a freed driver who requested anonymity, the attackers flagged down his vehicle en route from Makurdi to Lokoja and forced passengers into the surrounding forest. A second vehicle from Kogi State was also seized
“They selected four of us and a toddler to release, citing our age and health. The rest, including the second driver, were taken away,” the driver said.
Traditional Ruler Declares Gwer-West ‘Under Siege’
His Royal Highness Chief Daniel Abomtse, the Ter Tyoshin and traditional ruler of Gwer-West County, confirmed both incidents. “Our communities are under siege. Nowhere is safe—not even our farms. Fulani militants have driven our people out and occupied the land,” he said in a phone interview.
All 15 Wards ‘Occupied’—Local Official Claims Religious Targeting
Gwer-West County Chairman, Mr. Victor Torsar Ormin, described the situation as dire. “All 15 council wards in our local government are under Fulani occupation, except for Naka and Agagbe. This is not random; it’s a campaign of land grabbing and Islamization. We are targeted simply because we are Christians.”
Gwer-West, an agrarian and predominantly Christian County, has experienced persistent attacks. A previous incident on March 11 led to violent protests and the burning of key administrative buildings by Christian youths angered by alleged government complicity
Authorities Promise Response
Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Catherine Anene, confirmed the reports. “We have officially received the killing and kidnapping cases and have commenced investigations and operations,” she told TruthNigeria.
Despite military and police presence along the Makurdi-Naka-Adoka Road, where the kidnappings occurred, locals say attackers operate with impunity. Gwer-West remains one of the most dangerous areas in Benue State for Christians, as calls for federal intervention grow louder amid unrelenting violence.
More Than 80 Villages Attacked, 300,000 Displaced in Benue – International Human Rights Commission
Christian farming communities in Benue State are under sustained siege, with more than 80 villages across Benue and Plateau states overtaken by armed Fulani militants between February and April 2025. According to David Onyillokwu Idah, Director of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) in Abuja, the attacks are part of a broader campaign targeting Christian populations in rural areas.
“Benue is one of the worst-hit states,” Idah said. “In Gwer-West County alone, 15 out of 17 council wards are under militant control, leaving only Naka and Agagbe as relatively safe areas.”
Mass Displacement and Farming Crisis
Idah reported that over 300,000 people, mostly Christians, have been displaced in Benue due to the wave of attacks, with many now living in overcrowded camps or scattered across neighboring states.
“These attacks have forced thousands to flee their homes and farmlands,” he said. “In Gwer-West, an agrarian stronghold, about 90 percent of farmers have abandoned their farms. This isn’t just random violence—it’s a calculated effort to drive people off their ancestral lands.”
He warned that unless immediate intervention is made, the region risks spiraling into a full-scale humanitarian disaster, with devastating consequences for food production and community survival.
Mike Odeh James and Ekani Olikita are Conflict Reporters with TruthNigeria.
