Bloodbath in Benue: Suspected Herdsmen Kill 4 in Fresh Agatu, Apa Attacks
Despite recent assurances from top military brass, Benue State was rocked by fresh bloodshed Monday evening, as suspected herdsmen launched separate deadly attacks in Agatu and Apa Local Government Areas, leaving at least four people dead.
In Agatu, gunmen ambushed and killed Sunday Dutse, a native of Odejo and younger brother to a former chairman of the local government. Dutse had been displaced in a previous attack and was seeking refuge in Ogwule-Kaduna, another community in the same LGA.
He was attacked along the Odugbeho-Ogbaulu road, a route that has increasingly become a death trap for residents attempting to return home.
Earlier that same day, tragedy also struck in Edikwu G’Icho, a village in Apa LGA, where three youths were ambushed and killed in cold blood. Two of the slain victims were from Edikwu G’Icho, while the third hailed from Ugbokpo.
These coordinated attacks have further heightened tensions in the region and called into question the effectiveness of federal security assurances.
The latest killings occurred barely days after a high-profile visit by the Chief of Army Staff, who had promised to ramp up security in the state following a wave of similar violence.
Residents are now demanding swift action and tangible results, rather than repeated promises, to halt the continued bloodletting in Benue’s rural communities.
