Armed herdsmen attacked the Otobi community in Nigeria’s Benue State on Tuesday, killing seven people and injuring over 20, a day after gunmen killed 51 in neighbouring Plateau State.
An armed group of herdsmen attacked the Otobi community in the Akpa district of Otukpo Local Government Area in Nigeria’s north-central Benue State on Tuesday, leaving seven people dead and more than 20 injured. The attack also resulted in the burning of numerous homes.
According to Kennedy Angbo, a lawmaker representing the Otukpo-Akpa Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, the violence erupted around 5.30 p.m. and continued for nearly two hours. "We need help, as our people are being killed mercilessly," Angbo told Anadolu Agency by phone, adding that hundreds of residents have fled the area.
Police have yet to issue an official statement, although state police spokesperson Catherine Anene confirmed one would follow.
This marks the third attack on Otobi in April. The community is home to the Federal Ministry of Water Resources Multipurpose Water Dam.
Nigeria has faced years of deadly conflict between farmers and herders, largely driven by resource disputes. The crisis has become one of the country's most severe security issues, deepening ethnic, regional, and religious tensions nationwide.
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