By Mike Odeh James and Ekani Olikita Otukpo, Benue State
Vincent Antenyi survived two kidnappings by armed Fulani militia. But the second encounter left him permanently maimed, symbolizing Nigeria’s deepening rural crisis.
Once a prolific 46-year-old farmer, Antenyi cultivated 18 hectares of yam, rice, and cassava in Ogwule Kaduna, Agatu County, Benue State. Today, his land lies fallow, overrun by weeds and cattle belonging to the same group that shattered his life.
“I used to feed ten people with my hands,” he recounted, his voice trembling. “Now my children feed me.”
Antenyi lives with his wife and seven children in a modest home behind Emmanuel Secondary School in Otukpo. Since his last abduction and near-fatal shooting, he has been largely bedridden, grappling with wounds that refuse to heal—both physical and psychological.
First Abduction: A Night of Terror
Antenyi’s ordeal began on February 18, 2022, when ten armed men stormed his Otukpo home late at night.
“They were Fulani,” he stated simply, a detail that, in his experience, needed no further elaboration. “They dragged me out and took me to the forest near Otobi.”
He described a chaotic scene: men in black masks firing sporadically into the air.
“It was a dark evening. My house was right in the center of town, but when they came in around 10 p.m., everyone was scared to confront them. Even the police, just a few meters away, did nothing.”
Held for three days, bound by thick rope, Antenyi listened as his captors demanded a ₦2 million ransom from his wife. During the negotiation, four more captives were brought in—beaten and threatened with death.
“They totally forgot me,” he recalled.
Seizing a moment of confusion, he managed to untie himself, slip away, and plunge into the surrounding bush.
“They pursued me, shooting into the air and in my direction,” he said.
When he reached Otobi, local vigilantes engaged the attackers in a shootout, forcing them to retreat.
“I was shaken, but I couldn’t stop farming,” he said. “I have seven children. I had to keep going.”
Second Abduction: A Journey into Darkness
His hope that the ordeal was behind him was crushed on April 3, 2025. Antenyi was returning from Makurdi, the Benue State capital, where he had purchased herbicide for his struggling crops.
Between Taraku in Gwer-East and Otukpo counties, just after a military checkpoint, his Benue Links bus was ambushed.
“The Fulanis came out of the bush waving guns, shouting at us to get down,” he recounted. “They shot the driver and two passengers dead.”
The remaining passengers, including Antenyi, were marched into the dense forest.
“We were held for three days. They told us each person must pay ₦10 million to be released.”
On the third day, a police rescue attempt sparked chaos.
“We heard gunshots from afar. They panicked. That’s when they started beating us,” Antenyi said.
A man beside him was shot dead. Antenyi himself was struck with a rifle butt, then shot in the leg.
“I thought I would die. But I crawled and crawled until someone found me.”
Reduced to Poverty and Deprivation
Once a proud farmer, husband, and father of seven, Antenyi can now barely feed his family. His farmland is overrun with weeds, and his economic future remains uncertain.
“My children can barely eat or go to school. All my crops were destroyed by the Fulani terrorists who not only crippled me but also attacked other farms and our entire community. I am praying and hoping people will help me get treatment so I can start working again.”
Benue South Families Financially Crippled by Fulani Terrorists
Antenyi’s case is not isolated. Across Benue South, dozens of families are reeling from similar attacks.
Mike Magaji, the National President of Ochetoha K’Idoma—a coalition of Idoma youth groups—told TruthNigeria that more than 50 families have been displaced from their farms in recent years, often after the head of the household was killed.
“As I speak, there are many widows in Agatu, Apa, and Otukpo counties,” he said. “Similarly, we have many orphans from these counties. The Fulani have a habit of targeting and killing the male first, and then setting our communities on fire.”
Fulani Militants Operating from Forest Camps in Idoma Land
Magaji further alleged that Fulani militia have established hidden camps within the forests of Idoma land from which they coordinate kidnappings and attacks.
“Yes, they have camps in the forests of Otobi, Otukpo, and other parts of Idoma land. The Federal Government cannot say they are not aware. If they continue to neglect us, the Idoma people are ready to flush them out.”
Magaji called on both the federal and state governments to either send more troops to Benue South or empower local youths to defend their communities.
“We are therefore calling on the state and Federal Government to act urgently. If they cannot protect us, they must equip us to defend ourselves.”
Fulani Kidnappers Have Taken Over Our Roads, But We Will Crack Down on Them — Commander of Civil Defense Guards
William Pablo Agada, Commander of Civil Protection Guards in charge of Otukpo, in an interview with TruthNigeria, confirmed the growing insecurity.
“Fulani terrorists have set up camps at Ado, Okpokwu, Otukpa, Ohimini, Ojantele, Ojali, Akpa-Otobi and Adoka forests road, kidnapping passengers along Taraku-Otukpo, Otukpo-Ogobia-Adoka, Adoka-Iga Okpaya-Ugbokpo, and Otukpo-Ugbokolo-Otukpa-Enugu roads,” he said.
“We were part of the Joint Security Taskforce that rescued Vincent Antenyi and 13 other Benue Links bus attack victims on that fateful day. Five of my men sustained serious injuries but were treated and discharged from the hospital.”
“Although we have lost 12 operatives while trying to rescue kidnapped victims, repel attacks, or defend our people against Fulani terrorists, we will not be deterred. We will crack down on the Fulani ethnic kidnappers and murderers, and secure our roads and entire land,” Pablo assured.
When contacted, the new Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Benue State, CSP Udeme Edet, said, “There was a widespread issue of kidnappings and other forms of criminality across the state when I took over as the new PPRO, but we are seriously on top of the situation.”
Mike Odeh James and Ekani Olikita are Conflict Reporters for TruthNigeria.
