Nigerian Air Force Makes Rare Strike Against Kidnappers near Border with Enugu
By Ekani Olikita
(Makurdi, Nigeria) — At least 12 Christian residents, including a three-year-old boy, were killed in separate attacks on Christian farming communities in Nigeria’s central Benue State, residents told TruthNigeria.
Nine Christian residents reportedly killed in Tse-Biliji, Ukum County, on Friday, October 9, 2026, while three others were killed in Omulonye, Otukpo County, on Wednesday, October 7.
Residents attributed both attacks to armed Islamic Fulani Ethnic Militia (IFEM), who are hellbent to send the Christian farmers away from their ancestral lands, establish Islamic caliphates and impose Sharia Law.
The killings have intensified fears of what local leaders describe as ethno-religious cleansing — the systematic targeting of a particular ethnic or religious community to force its displacement.
Tse-Biliji in Ukum County is located 112 miles Northeast of Makurdi while Omulonye in Otukpo is located 59 miles South-South of Makurdi, the capital of Benue, a predominantly Christian agricultural state in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, which has suffered years of deadly attacks, kidnappings and displacement.
Former Benue Governor Samuel Ortom has previously accused armed Muslim Fulani Militia groups of seeking to seize ancestral lands and impose religious control His remarks reflect the concerns of some local leaders about the broader pattern of violence
Nine Reportedly Killed in Ukum Attack
Residents said approximately 30 heavily armed Fulani terrorists on more than 16 motorcycles attacked Tse-Biliji, in Mbatian Precinct, between 7:01 p.m. and 7:41 p.m. Friday, moving from house to house and attacking residents with machetes Eyewitness Oraduen Andy told TruthNigeria that he watched the assault while hiding inside an unfinished building.
“The attackers were more than 30 well armed Fulani Jihadists as I heard them speaking Fulfulde and chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ as they attacked our people,”
“Nine of our people were confirmed killed, seven injured with life-threatening injuries and were evacuated to Zaki-Biam for medical treatment,” Andy told TruthNigeria
Andy alleged that the attackers came from neighboring Taraba and Nasarawa states.
Residents also alleged that some people who fled into nearby bushes were pursued and killed. Nigerian media framed the massacre as an attack of the herding class on the farming class. As Vanguard put it on Saturday: “Benue: Suspected herdsmen kill nine in fresh Ukum attacks.” Vanguard did not reveal the ethnicity of the criminals: Fulani.
Air Force Strikes Suspected Kidnappers’ Hideout
In a rare admission, the Nigerian Air Force said it provided close air support to ground forces during an operation targeting suspected kidnappers in a forested area of Ogbadibo County, near the Enugu–Benue boundary. The announcement of the strike in Benue is the first of its kind since Bola Tinubu came into office in 2023. Did the strike reflect new military resolve to roll back the scourge of kidnappings by Fulani criminal gangs?
The bombing comes amid persistent calls for stronger security operations against armed groups and kidnapping networks operating in parts of Benue.
For the United States, the reported killings underscore the importance of credible investigations, civilian protection and accountability for perpetrators of religiously motivated violence. Establishing whether the attacks constitute a coordinated campaign would help policymakers assess the appropriate diplomatic and security responses without prejudging the findings.
Three Killed, Including a Child, in Otukpo
In a separate attack Friday on Benue State’s southwestern border, in the Omulonye community, three residents, including a three-year-old boy, were reportedly killed, while several others were injured, according to Leadership.
A local vigilante commander, identified as Mr. Friday, said his son was killed and his wife injured during the assault.
“I was with my family at home, preparing to join other local security guards, when I heard sporadic gunshots from all angles,” Friday told TruthNigeria
“I saw more than 15 heavily armed men moving from house to house and chanting ‘Allahu Akbar’ while macheting our people,” he said.
Local humanitarian worker Meddy Olotu questioned why civilians, including a young child, had been killed in their homes.
“What was their crime? Nothing. What was the crime of this little child? Nothing,” Olotu said.
Analyst Warns of Possible Ethno-Religious Cleansing
Security analysts say repeated attacks on predominantly Christian farming communities, particularly when accompanied by killings, abductions and displacement, warrant investigation into whether Christians are being targeted because of their identity.
Navy Captain Solomon Jaja (rtd), a Counterterrorism Analyst said: “When armed Fulani Jihadists repeatedly attack Christian farming communities because of their tribe and faith, kill residents in their homes and drive survivors from their ancestral lands, the pattern amounts to ethno-religious cleansing.
The central question is whether these attacks are intended not only to kill, but also to make these communities uninhabitable for the people who have lived there for generations.”
John Anthony Ikwulono, a former Deputy Chairman of Agatu County, alleged that the violence was intended to displace Christian farmers.
“It is a persistent attempt by Muslim Fulani Ethnic Militia to drive out Christian farmers from their land, convert it to Islamic caliphates and impose Sharia,” Ikwulono told TruthNigeria.
Stephen Oche, a resident of Omulonye, warned that armed Fulani Ethnic Militia previously driven from parts of Benue South might be returning to alleged camps in Otukpo, Ohimini, Okpokwu, Ogbadibo, Apa and Agatu. He specifically mentioned Amla and Emichi, although these claims require independent security verification.
The attacks add to concerns over Christian farmers’ protection in Otukpo, home to the predominantly Christian Idoma people. Previous incidents include the reported abduction of 20 Catholic medical students in August 2024 https://truthnigeria.com/2024/08/fulani-kidnappers-abduct-20-catholic-medical-students-in-benue/ and further deadly attacks reported in Benue in July 2026 https://truthnigeria.com/2026/07/fulani-ethnic-militia-kill-22-christians-in-renewed-attacks-across-benue-state/
Ekani Olikita is a Conflict Reporter for TruthNigeria.
