Benue Monarch Calls for Military Withdrawal as Soldiers Kill 3 Christian Youths Returning from King’s Burial
‘We don’t need the Army’—Kwande Traditional King
‘The Military killed our people because we couldn’t meet up with the One Million Naira demanded’—Residents
By Mike Odeh James and Ekani Olikita
Makurdi–The Kwande Traditional King in Benue State has called for the immediate withdrawal of the Military following the killing of three Christian youths.
On Tuesday, September 30, 2025, Nigerian military personnel opened fire on mourners returning from Nzaav Community to Jato-Aka town after burying their king, killing two students and a youth.
The incident occurred in Jato-Aka, Turan in Kwande county, located 161km Northwest of Makurdi, the State Capital. Nzaav, an agrarian and predominantly Christian community (99% Christians, mostly Catholics), has been deserted by its original inhabitants and taken over by invading Muslim Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM), who ambush and kill any resident trying to access their home or farm.
The Deadly Attack
According to eyewitnesses, the Christian youths were returning to Jato-Aka after the burial of the late Traditional King of the deserted Nzaav community, Chief Hanave Laha. Men of the Operation Whirl Stroke Military Taskforce attached to a Chinese Mining Company, stationed at Tarkom settlement, opened fire on them.
The victims include two high school students: Gloria Songo of ATM Divine Academy Jato-Aka and Iorfa James of Government Secondary School Jato-Aka. A youth, Iorsuur Terna, was also shot dead. Ten others sustained life-threatening gunshot wounds and are receiving medical treatment in Jato-Aka.
‘Military Operatives killed our people because we couldn’t afford the One Million Naira’—Nzaav Youth Leader
Solomon Amande, Nzaav Community Youth Leader and an eyewitness, condemned the attack as unprovoked and deliberate in a phone interview with TruthNigeria.
“For safety, we held the wake-keep of our late Chief in Jato-Aka town because our village has been deserted and taken over by Fulani,” he said. “On the day of the final internment, we contacted the military to escort us to Nzaav village to bury our King. They charged us One Million Naira (667 USD). We told them we could only afford Seven hundred and forty thousand Naira (493 USD), but they insisted on the full amount. Since we couldn’t reach an agreement, our youths decided to take the risk and accompany the corpse without military help.”
“We went to Nzaav, buried our King successfully, but were shockingly confronted by the military on our way back. They opened fire on us, killing one youth and injuring many.”
“This gruesome murder provoked the women, resulting in a massive protest in Jato-Aka town. The military again opened fire on the protesters, killing two students returning from school and injuring 10 others.”
Angry Youth Set Residence of Jato-Aka Traditional King Ablaze
Amande added that angered by the failure of the Mue-Ter Ichongo (the Traditional King of Jato-Aka), Chief Simon Baver, to address them, angry Turan youths went on a rampage. They destroyed and set buildings ablaze, including his house, office, vehicles, and other properties.
‘The Military is Colluding with Fulani terrorists, Killing Us’— Eyewitness
Another eyewitness, Achough Moses, stated in a phone interview that the military is colluding with Fulani terrorists to kill their people and takeover their communities.
“Turan has 5 Council Wards, all taken over by Fulani terrorists, confining us to only Jato-Aka, the only safe place in the entire Turan land. The military knows this but has refused to dislodge them,” Moses said.
Achough further alleged that security agencies tax residents to bury their dead. “The security agencies, including the military, usually tax our people before they can escort us to bury our loved ones in our various villages under Fulani occupation. Why must we pay security personnel to bury our dead? Apart from Fulani killing us, the military are also killing us unprovoked. We want the International Community to listen to our cry and rescue us.”
‘Leave our Land now’—Kwande King, Women tell Nigerian Military
While other Nigerians celebrated the country’s 65th Independence Anniversary on Wednesday, October 1st, the traumatized people of Kwande county gathered in Jato-Aka and with a united voice called on the Federal Government to immediately withdraw the military personnel stationed in their communities.
Speaking on behalf of his people, the visibly angry Ter Kwande (Traditional King of Kwande), Chief Timothy Ahile, lampooned the military, saying the troops are not in Kwande to protect his people but to connive with Fulani terrorists.
“We no longer need the military in our land; they should go now. We don’t know their importance. They have joined Fulani to kill us and takeover our land. They have turned their guns against us as seen on Tuesday. The betrayal is unbearable. Enough is enough. President Tinubu and Governor Alia should hear this message and take immediate action,” Chief Ahile said.
‘Soldiers should Leave Our Land’—Kwande Women
Similarly, Turan women joined the call, blocking the Jato-Aka-Nzaav road with placards and demanding the Military leave their land since they cannot defend the people. “We miss our son, late Colonel Aboho. The killing of our people by both Fulani and soldiers wouldn’t have happened if he was still alive,” the women sang in tears.
Calls for Military Withdrawal Spreads Across Central Nigerian States
Agitation for the withdrawal of Nigerian Military personnel from Christian-dominated Central Nigerian States (the Middle Belt region) such as Benue, Plateau, and Southern Kaduna continues to gain momentum. This is due to the increasing failure of the troops to protect local Christian populace from Muslim Fulani Ethnic Militia attacks.
In September 2025, Chief Daniel Abomtse, the Traditional King of Gwer-West County in Benue State, and Solomon Daylop Mwantiri, National Chairman of Berom Youth Molders Association, joined the call to replace soldiers with police.
Similarly, in August 2025, angry Yelewata Women blocked the busy Makurdi-Lafia-Abuja Federal Highway, chasing away a military detachment for failing to protect their people from endless Fulani killings.
Attempts to get the military’s version of the allegation through a phone call to the Field Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke in Benue State, Maj. Gen Moses Gara, yielded no result as no response was given.
Mike Odeh James and Ekani Olikita are Conflict Reporters for TruthNigeria.
