ABUJA: Gunmen have attacked the rural village of Umogidi in Benue State, north-central Nigeria, leaving nearly 50 people dead, local government officials said on Friday.
The attack, which happened on Wednesday, has been attributed to herdsmen who have been attacking local communities in the area for the past month. Tit-for-tat clashes between nomadic herders and settled farmers are common in the region as they compete for land and resources.
Security advisor to Benue State governor, Paul Hemba, said that 46 casualties had been recorded so far, but the number of those killed may be higher as many people are still missing.
He added that soldiers had been dispatched to the area, bringing the situation under control.
Bala Ejeh, Otukpo local government chairman, confirmed that his own son and two relatives were among the dead.
Farmers-herders clashes in Nigeria
Benue State has been badly hit by clashes between farmers and herders, who are accused of destroying farmland with their cattle grazing.
The motive for the latest attack is unclear, and a national herders’ Association representative was not immediately available for comment.
Communal violence is only one of the security challenges facing President-elect Bola Tinubu, who won a presidential ballot last month that was marked by heavy delays and accusations of vote rigging.
The country’s security forces are also battling a 14-year-long jihadist conflict in the northwest and attacks by separatists in the southeast.
In addition, intercommunal violence has spiralled into broader criminality in the northwest and centre of the country, with heavily armed bandit militias ransacking villages and carrying out mass abductions for ransom.
The latest attack highlights the ongoing tensions between herders and farmers in the region and the failure of the government to address the root causes of the conflict.
Despite several initiatives aimed at ending the violence, the clashes continue to claim lives and disrupt communities in Nigeria.
