From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen militia have killed nine people, including a police officer, in renewed attacks on communities in Agatu Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State.
The attacks, which began last Friday, August 1, 2025, and continued through Tuesday, August 5, 2025, come shortly after the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) reported that over 340 cattle belonging to their members were rustled in the council.
A resident of Agatu, identified only as Odenyi, told newsmen in Makurdi that the suspected armed herders, believed to be coming from Kogi State, attacked and then fled. The affected communities include Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, Olegagbani, and Ikpele.
According to Odenyi, “The attacks started last Friday at Okwutanobe, where two people were killed. On Saturday, they attacked Okpokpolo and killed one person. On Monday, the armed herders invaded Olegagbani, killing one person. Today, Tuesday, they attacked Ikpele, where they killed one police officer and four others.”
Chairman of Agatu LGA, James Melvin, confirmed the incidents, stating, “It’s true. I can confirm that four people were killed in Okwutanobe, Okpokpolo, and Olegagbani, while five people, including a police officer, were killed in Ikpele today.”
Melvin suggested the attacks might be reprisals for the alleged cattle rustling reported by MACBAN. “We totally condemn these attacks, and I think it was a reprisal to their earlier report of cattle rustling in Agatu communities,” he said.
He urged the perpetrators to allow the government time to investigate the rustling allegations instead of taking the law into their own hands.
Melvin commended the security operatives in the council but highlighted challenges posed by the terrain. “The roads in Agatu are bad. Even when security men receive distress calls, it can take them up to four hours to navigate some areas due to the difficult terrain, allowing the armed herders to wreak havoc and escape,” he explained.
When contacted, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, said she had not yet received information on the incident but noted that there is adequate police presence in the council.
