Over 150 Dead as Herdsmen and Boko Haram Launch Devastating Attacks Across Four States

 

A spate of violent attacks over the past two weeks has left no fewer than 151 people dead and hundreds displaced in Nigeria’s Middle Belt and Northeast regions. Herdsmen attacks in Plateau and Benue States, coupled with fresh Boko Haram incursions in Adamawa, have sparked renewed fears and forced thousands from their homes.

In Plateau and Benue States alone, at least 144 people have been reported killed by suspected armed herders. The carnage continued on Tuesday evening, with another brutal assault in Otobi Akpa, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, where no fewer than 13 lives were lost and over 50 homes reduced to ashes.

The recent killings follow earlier massacres in Plateau’s Bassa and Bokkos LGAs, where 104 people—52 from each community—were killed by marauding gunmen. Benue also suffered numerous attacks: On April 3, three passengers aboard a Benue Links bus were ambushed and killed in Ikobi community. A week later, two farmers were murdered in Gwer West, while three more were killed in Mbasombo, Gwer East.

Tuesday’s attack in Otobi Akpa began around 6:00 p.m., as more than 20 armed assailants stormed the community from the Otobi junction, firing indiscriminately. Tragically, local vigilantes who might have mounted a defense were away at a burial in Adim village. The attackers moved swiftly, gunning down residents and setting homes ablaze. Some victims were butchered with cutlasses, their remains left in horrifying conditions, witnesses said.

Elder Adikwu Ogbe, a respected voice in Otobi Akpa, described the carnage with anguish. “We lived in peace with Fulani herders before,” he said. “But everything changed when they began carrying advanced weapons and issuing threats. Now, our peaceful community has become a hunting ground.”

Local sources say the herders are retaliating against the enforcement of anti-open grazing laws, which prohibit free-range cattle movement in the area.

Benue State Deputy Governor, Samuel Ode, visited the affected community on Wednesday, accompanied by security operatives. Residents, now seeking refuge at the Federal Government College in Otobi, expressed fear of further attacks. Ode urged calm, assuring displaced persons that measures were being taken to prevent future incidents. Nonetheless, Otobi Akpa has become a ghost town, with most residents fleeing for safety.

In Plateau, Governor Caleb Mutfwang has imposed emergency security measures. These include a ban on night grazing, a curfew on motorcycle movement from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and a prohibition on transporting cattle after dark. These are aimed at curbing further incursions by armed herdsmen.

Simultaneously, Boko Haram insurgents struck again in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Tuesday. In the fourth attack in the region this year, seven people were killed across the communities of Banga and Larh. Among the dead was a vigilante who died when a planted explosive device was triggered during the response effort.

According to eyewitnesses, the insurgents stormed the villages in large numbers and opened fire on unsuspecting residents. “In the twinkle of an eye, the whole area was deserted,” said Ma’am Yakub, a local resident. “Many are still missing.”

A police vehicle responding to the crisis was hit by explosives, but officers inside escaped unhurt. Residents fear these bombings are strategic—meant to hamper security efforts and maintain insurgent control.

Hong LGA Chairman, Waang Inuwa, confirmed the attacks and called for greater military presence. “We are overwhelmed and feel abandoned. These attacks are relentless,” one community leader lamented.

These coordinated waves of violence—whether from insurgents or herdsmen—have laid bare the fragility of security in parts of Nigeria. Despite repeated government assurances, citizens in affected regions remain under siege, left with little more than hope and resilience amid rising death tolls and displacement.