Five Farmers Killed in Benue as Suspected Armed Herders Attack Kwande Community
“Five farmers have been killed in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State after suspected armed herders attacked a farming community during harvest, raising fresh concerns over insecurity and food production.”
Suspected armed herders on Tuesday evening killed five farmers in Udeku Maav-Ya community, Mbakyol Council Ward, Turan district of Kwande Local Government Area in Benue State.
The attack reportedly occurred at about 4 p.m., while residents were harvesting yams and bambara nuts on their farmlands.
According to local sources, the assailants struck while farming activities were ongoing, throwing the agrarian community into panic.
A resident, who identified himself simply as Terna, said the attack “disrupted all activities in the area,” adding that many villagers fled for safety as gunshots rang out.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Kwande Local Government Area, Tersua Yarkwan, said the attackers did not immediately withdraw after carrying out the assault.
“The armed men stayed around for some time after the attack, which created serious tension in the community,” Mr Yarkwan said.
He described Kwande as a vulnerable border local government that shares an international boundary with Cameroon, noting that the difficult terrain hampers effective security operations.
According to him, “these repeated attacks, especially during harvest season, pose a serious threat to food security.”
Also confirming the killings, a former supervisory councillor in the local government, Akerigba Lawrence, lamented what he described as sustained assaults on the community.
He said residents had endured “constant attacks, destruction of crops, homes and economic trees, as well as restricted access to water sources.”
Mr Lawrence identified three of the victims as Tyozua Gyuse, Gbaga Gyuse, and Tersuur Ijighka, adding that the identities of the remaining two victims were yet to be confirmed.
He further disclosed that search efforts were ongoing to locate some residents who were declared missing at the time of filing this report.
According to him, persistent violence in the area has forced the closure of schools, churches and markets, worsening the humanitarian situation and disrupting socio-economic activities.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Benue State Police Command proved unsuccessful, as calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, did not connect as of press time.
The latest killings add to a long-running pattern of violence in Benue State, particularly in rural and border communities.
In recent months, several local government areas—including Kwande, Ukum and Katsina-Ala—have recorded deadly attacks linked to armed herders and criminal gangs, often targeting farmers during planting and harvest seasons.
Although security agencies, including troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, have conducted multiple operations across Benue in 2025 and early 2026 to curb armed violence and kidnapping, residents say sporadic attacks persist, raising renewed concerns over safety, livelihoods and food production in the state.
