By Our Correspondent
Makurdi, Nigeria – May 11, 2025
No fewer than 23 people were killed between Friday and Saturday in a series of violent attacks across four Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State—Logo, Kwande, Ukum, and Guma.
Investigations by NEWSPOINTER revealed that eight farmers were brutally murdered in the early hours of Saturday in Jootar, a border community in Ukum LGA. The victims, who had reportedly spent the night in the area, were attacked while heading to their farms in the morning.
A local source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “The farmers were killed on their way to farm. But we cannot confirm whether the killers were armed herders or Jukun militia.”
Jootar, located on the border between Taraba and Benue states, has long been a flashpoint of ethnic conflict between the Tiv and Jukun communities.
In a separate incident on Friday, suspected armed herders invaded Ayilamo, a community in Logo LGA, killing nine residents. Additional attacks in Kwande and Guma LGAs claimed three lives each, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths to 23.
Confirming the Jootar attack, the Benue State Commissioner for Information, Mathew Abo, stated: “The report I received is that eight farmers were killed in Jootar early Saturday morning on their way to the farm. The area is a border community between Tiv and Jukun, and there has been an ongoing crisis between the two groups. We cannot say for sure who was responsible.”
As of the time of this report, Mr. Abo said he could not confirm the killings in Guma, Logo, and Kwande LGAs. Efforts to reach the spokesperson of the Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful, as calls and text messages were not returned.
For more updates, follow The Newspointer on X (Twitter), WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.
Contact Us: ✉️ Email: humtarosamson@gmail.com
📞 Tel: +2348138465350 or 07071144444
Online Editor: Humtaro S. Humtaro
© 2024 TheNewspointer.com.ng – All Rights Reserved.
