Following fresh attacks in Benue State, a Church leader and three others have tragically lost their lives in yet another incident involving suspected herders.
Air Commodore Jacob Gbamwuan (rtd.), the Special Adviser to the Governor of Benue State on Homeland Security, confirmed the attack, which occurred in the remote Gyungu Azer area, along the Udei to Yogbo road.
Among the victims was Vitalis Kenvanger, a respected leader of St. Albert Catholic Church in Abata, Yogbo, and local businessman Dogo Udam. The pair were ambushed by their assailants while traveling, and their bodies were found at the scene.
Two others traveling with them, identified as Mr. Iorember Famja and Mama Shiaondo (the wife of Ioryem Ike), were initially reported as missing.
While Mama Shiaondo was later released by her captors, the whereabouts of Mr. Famja remain uncertain. His family expressed concern, unable to confirm whether he had been abducted or killed. A search party, consisting of local vigilantes and security personnel, scoured the surrounding forest, but as of press time, Mr. Famja had not been found.
The disturbing fact that his kidnappers answered his phone calls, yet refrained from demanding any ransom, has led to growing fears for his safety and the possibility that he may have been murdered.
The family of the slain church leader, Boniface Igboji, expressed their grief, with Igboji sharing, “I spoke with my brother just yesterday. I had no idea he would be taken from us so violently today by these heartless Fulani jihadists.” He also reported that the killers answered their phone calls, confirming the death of his relative.
In a separate, unrelated attack, another farmer, Mr. Iorpev Terngu, was hacked to death by machete-wielding assailants at his farm in Tse Atsem, located in Borikyo village within Ukum Local Government Area.
The violence in the region continued, with another deadly assault reported in Ukohol village, about four kilometers from Yelwata, along the Makurdi-Lafia road. There, a resident named William Tyough was tied up, slaughtered, and his motorcycle set on fire by the attackers.
These incidents add to a troubling pattern of violence in the Nyiev ward, where Yelwata is located. Over 200 people were recently killed in a massacre attributed to herders in this very area. In light of these growing attacks, locals have raised alarms about the increasing presence of mercenaries in the region. Reports have surfaced of groups camping around Kadarko railway station and in the nearby settlements of Tse Antsa and Umalai, both in Tiv-dominated areas under the Kwara district of Keana Local Government in Nasarawa State. These villages have been virtually deserted as the violence has intensified.
The Benue State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement on the latest attacks. When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, stated she had not received any official briefings but promised to provide an update when available.
Following a visit by the President to Benue State just days after the attack that claimed the lives of over 200 residents, many had hoped the violence would subside, or at the very least, slow down. However, contrary to expectations, fresh assaults have been carried out on predominantly Christian communities continuing at an alarming rate.
