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| Residents flee as herders ambush police post |
On Sunday, June 29, 2025, at about 11 am, a band of armed herders swept into Udei community. They opened fire on four Mobile Policemen at their post. All four officers died on the spot.
Residents say the attack came without warning. A local elder, Mr. Andy Nomsoor, said people heard bursts of gunfire. They ran to warn the police. But the herders had cut the power lines. Darkness helped mask their advance.
Udei lies just 15 minutes by road from Yelewata. That village suffered an even worse attack on June 14. Amnesty International put its death toll over 100. Many homes there burned. Hundreds remain missing.
Local militia and soldiers raced to Udei from Daudu. They found the police post looted and bloodied. They chased the herders back into the bush. Some fighters fell in that counter-attack. Exact numbers remain unconfirmed.
This raid follows a string of deadly strikes on Benue villages. On June 13, gunmen killed two farmers in nearby Tse Ivokor. On April 18, attackers slaughtered 10 worshippers in Gbagir.
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia called an emergency security meeting. He ordered tighter patrols on all farm routes. He urged calm and warned against reprisals. He said the state will fund food aid for displaced families.
Benue sits in Nigeria’s “Middle Belt.” It serves as grazing land for nomadic Fulani herdsmen. Over time, grazing turned tense. Farmers and herders argued over land and water. Violent clashes rose after 2010.
Experts say climate change worsens this fight. Droughts push herdsmen south. They seek fresh pasture. Farmers plant at the same time. When livestock trample farms, tempers flare. Villages arm to protect crops.
In April 2022, herdsmen killed over 25 villagers around Guma LGA. They burned homes and ambushed travelers. Survivors fled into the bush for weeks.
Mrs. Esther Tilda farms just outside Udei. She heard shouting at dawn. She saw burnt huts and hoofprints in a cassava field. She hid her children in a hideout. They stayed silent for hours.
“My heart froze when I saw those men shoot at the red lights,” she said. She spoke on condition of anonymity. She fears fresh attacks if her name appears.
The Nigeria Police Force vowed a manhunt. Spokesperson DSP Frank Mba said suspects will face justice. He warned communities against taking law into their hands.
A joint task force of soldiers, navy and police now patrols the area. They set up checkpoints on major roads. They use drones to track movements at night.
After Yelewata’s attack, over 5,000 people fled farms. Many stayed with relatives in Makurdi. Others camped under trees. They lack clean water and medicine.
A local church runs a makeshift clinic. It treats gunshot wounds and malaria. They need blankets and baby food. Aid groups have yet to arrive in full force.
Civic leaders urge talks between herders and farmers. They want clearer grazing routes. They propose “green corridors” for livestock. Critics doubt herders will honour maps.
Benue’s House of Assembly plans to pass grazing laws. They hope to regulate movement and punish culprits. Some say this may fuel more anger.
Dr. Peter Msugh, a conflict studies scholar, said sectarian politics fuel this crisis. He links spillover from the Islamist insurgency in the northeast. Fighters sell arms that spread across states.
He warns that delaying policy reforms risks more bloodshed. He calls for national land-use reviews to protect both lives and livelihoods.
Benue supplies most of Nigeria’s yams. When farms lie idle, markets feel the pinch. Prices for staple crops rose 15 percent this season. That hurts families across the south.
Livestock herds also shrink when herders fear arrest. Milk and beef cost more. City dwellers face meat shortages.
Analysts say Nigeria’s security forces lack manpower in rural areas. They must recruit local guides and boost community policing. They also need better pay to cut corruption.
The police say new bases will open in hotspot towns. They hope to reduce response time. They plan to train officers in human rights and local languages.
Chief Solomon Otse, a village leader, said, “We can’t farm in fear.” He met with officials on Monday. He demanded that lost farms be secured before next planting season.
Youth groups in Guma have formed vigilante squads. They say they only defend villages. Human rights groups worry about untrained fighters. They may spark worse clashes.
As the rainy season nears, fields must open. If security stays weak, hunger may spread by October. The governor’s office says it will fast-track dialogue panels. But long-term peace may take years.
To build trust, committees will include women and church elders. They say healing starts in homes, not courts.