Fresh violence has erupted in Goh village, Naka, Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, where two middle-aged farmers were brutally killed by suspected armed herdsmen while working on their farms.
The victims, identified as Monday Orlovuu and his unnamed friend, were harvesting crops on Thursday afternoon when they were ambushed by the assailants. Their farms are located less than four kilometres from Naka town, the local government headquarters.
According to a local resident who identified himself as Lanshim, the killings occurred less than 48 hours after the same group of herders reportedly invaded the community’s farmlands, allowing their cattle to graze freely and destroy food crops.
“They wanted to save the crops they laboured so hard to plant, that was why they went to the farm to harvest them, but they did not make it out alive,” Lanshim told reporters.
“The armed herders stormed the farms while they were working and attacked them. Unfortunately, they could not save their crops, and they also lost their lives while trying to salvage what they could from the farm.”
The attack has left residents in shock and fear. Many locals say they are now afraid to return to their farms, despite relying solely on farming for food and survival.
“This has become the lot of our people. We have been chased out of our communities, and any attempt to visit our farmland to cultivate food is met with a bloody attack. How do we survive when we cannot farm to feed our families?” Lanshim added.
He further accused the government of failing to protect farming communities from what he described as “bloodthirsty invaders” who intend to displace locals from their ancestral lands.
“The government must get these terrorists out of our communities because there is no way we can accommodate them and pretend that we can live together. All they want is to occupy our ancestral land, and the government seems indifferent to our plight.”
Community members expressed anger that the gruesome murders took place shortly after the Chairman of Gwer West LGA visited the area to assess the earlier destruction of farms by the same armed herders.
The latest killings highlight the escalating cycle of violence in Benue State, a region that has remained a hotspot of farmer-herder clashes for years. Residents insist that urgent intervention is needed to prevent further bloodshed and displacement.
Attempts to contact the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, for confirmation and comment were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The atmosphere in Gwer West remains tense, with villagers calling for immediate government action to restore peace and secure their farmlands.
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