Witness Accounts Describe Coordinated Attacks in Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa
By Ekani Olikita
A series of violent attacks by armed men described by residents as Fulani militia in parts of Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states has left several people dead and injured, according to local sources, heightening concerns about security across Nigeria’s North‑Central region.
The incidents, which occurred on March 25, 2026, left multiple people injured and dead, with widespread destruction of property reported in separate attacks across the affected areas.
Makurdi, Benue State
In Makurdi, armed Fulani militia attacked passengers and residents near Afubo Island, leaving several people with life-threatening injuries.
Witnesses said the violence began around 6:15 p.m. after a dispute over transportation fares aboard a motorized wooden canoe traveling from Wadata Market to the island. The disagreement escalated when some Fulani passengers allegedly contacted armed associates onshore.
Upon arrival, the assailants reportedly launched a coordinated attack on non-Fulani Christian passengers and locals. Among the victims was a canoe engine operator, Jerry Saleh, who suffered the amputation of his hand. Two brothers, Edoh and Adah Adikwu, were also severely wounded, while another farmer sustained critical injuries.
The victims are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre and Sandra Hospital in Makurdi.
Credit: Ekani Olikita.
The attack occurred alarmingly close to major military facilities, including the Nigerian Army School of Military Engineering and a Special Forces unit.
Residents say Afubo Island has increasingly become a refuge for armed groups who allegedly launch attacks on nearby communities before retreating across the river.
Makurdi resident Enenche Oyiyole told TruthNigeria that the community feels increasingly vulnerable.
“We are living in constant fear,” Oyiyole said. “These attackers operate so close to military formations, yet they strike and disappear without consequence. It makes people feel completely unprotected.”
Timga Village, Taraba State
In Timga Village, armed Fulani militia fighters carried out overnight raids, burning homes of Terdue Oeseer, Tyoar Christopher Mbahenyan, Manasseh Tyozrnda and forcing residents to flee.
The attacks began in the early hours of March 25 in communities on the outskirts of Ananum in Donga County (Local Government Area). Houses belonging to several residents were set ablaze, though no fatalities were immediately confirmed as villagers escaped.
The assailants reportedly moved onward to nearby settlements, including Gbagede, continuing the destruction of property.
Moses Peva, a resident of Timga Village recounted the chaos to TruthNigeria. “The Fulani attackers came in the night, speaking Fufulde and chanting Allahu Akbar, shooting and burning houses. We had no choice but to run into the bush. Everything we owned is gone.”
Local sources say such attacks have become recurrent, leaving communities vulnerable and displaced.
Mararaba Gurku, Nasarawa State
In Mararaba Gurku, a dispute between a Fulani Muslim herder and a local Christian vigilante escalated into deadly violence, leaving at least three Fulani tribesmen dead, according to local reports.
According to reports, the incident began when a Fulani herder allegedly allowed cattle to graze on a farm belonging to a Christian farmer and cut down a mango tree. A confrontation followed, during which a Christian vigilante member, identified as Sunday Adeoye, allegedly shot and killed a 17-year-old Fulani herder.
The killing triggered a reprisal attack by associates of the deceased Fulani herder. Homes, vehicles and motorcycles were set on fire and several people were injured.
Security forces later intervened to restore order, but two additional individuals were killed during the response.
A resident of Mararaba, Aboje Adoda, described the aftermath to TruthNigeria, “What started as a simple disagreement turned into a full-blown crisis. Within hours, people were dead, homes destroyed and the whole community thrown into panic.”
Makurdi, the Capital of Benue State, Donga County, located 186 miles Southwest of Jalingo, Taraba State Capital and Mararaba Community, located 103 miles Northeast of Lafia, Nasarawa State, are predominantly Christian counties in the Central Nigeria (98%, 90% and 92% Christians respectively mostly Catholics
Growing Security Concerns
These incidents highlight a troubling pattern of violence across Nigeria’s North-Central region, where disputes, often involving Christian farmers and Muslim Fulani herders, rapidly escalate into deadly confrontations that involve Fulani Militia.
Residents and local observers warn that without decisive security intervention, the cycle of attacks and reprisals could worsen, further destabilizing already fragile communities.
For many affected communities, the fear is no longer just about isolated attacks, but a persistent sense of insecurity by armed Muslim Fulani Ethnic Militia that disrupts daily life and threatens long-term stability in the middle Belt region.
Ekani Olikita is a Conflict Reporter for TruthNigeria.
