Monday, July 13, 2026 -At least 16 people were reportedly killed by suspected armed herders in the Nobi community, Otukpo Local Government Area, Benue State.
According to a local source, the assailants stormed the
community in the early hours of Sunday and unleashed terror.
Angered by the development, youths and women from the
community took to streets in Otukpo, including the palace of the Och’Idoma, to
protest the killings.
As of the time of filing this report, the protesters had
blocked all entrances into the ancient town, including the Enugu–Otukpo and
Makurdi–Otukpo roads.
One of the protesters, who identified herself as Comfort
Inalegwu, told our correspondent in a telephone interview on Sunday, “Some
Fulani herdsmen, between 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. today, attacked the Nobi
community in Otukpo, shooting sporadically, which made residents flee.
“At least 16 people were killed this morning during the
attack. I lost my sister and two of her children in the attack. The Fulani
entered her house and shot them.
Their corpses are now at the morgue of Otukpo General
Hospital.”
Inalegwu, who said several people were also injured during
the attack, threatened that women would continue to protest and ensure that
elections were not held in the area unless the government stopped the incessant
killings of innocent people in Idoma land.
She added that many people were still missing as of the time
she spoke with our correspondent.
The Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri,
could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings,
describing them as “not only a breach of peace but also a barbaric and inhuman
assault on the sanctity of life and the collective soul of the people of Benue
State.”
The condemnation was contained in a statement issued on
Sunday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, and made available
to journalists in Makurdi.
The statement read in part, “The suspected armed herders
reportedly invaded Akpachi Village in Akpa, Otukpo Local Government Area,
between 3:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. while residents were asleep. The attackers
killed scores of people, while many others sustained varying degrees of
injuries.
“These acts of mindless bloodshed are a direct attempt to
sabotage the progress of our state.”
Alia, who expressed sadness over the attack, said he “shares
in the grief and anger of the people of Otukpo and the entire Benue South
Senatorial District,” saying, “Your lives are precious, and I can assure you
that your ancestral lands will not be surrendered to fear.”
The governor said the people of the state had consistently
demonstrated remarkable restraint and commitment to peace, but warned that such
restraint must never be mistaken for weakness.
While consoling the people of Otukpo, the governor said, “My
government stands firmly with you, and we will not allow our communities to be
turned into killing fields.”
He directed all security agencies operating in the state to
liaise with their counterparts in neighbouring states and to “swing into
action” with renewed vigour by intensifying surveillance and patrols across the
affected communities and border areas.
He also called on security agencies to ensure the arrest and
prosecution of the perpetrators and to deploy additional personnel and
resources to protect vulnerable communities and prevent further attacks.
While calling on Benue residents to remain vigilant, the
governor urged every citizen to cooperate with the police and military by
providing timely and credible intelligence, saying, “Security is a collective
responsibility, and your information is a vital tool in our defence.”
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police
Command, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached as of the time of filing this
report.
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