The latest violence in Otukpo comes weeks after the killing of the Benue State MACBAN chairman.
Fresh attacks by suspected armed herders have claimed several lives in communities within Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, raising renewed concerns over insecurity in the area.
According to local media reports, including Idoma Television, the attacks began on Saturday when gunmen suspected to be herders invaded Akpachi village in the Ugboju community. Two residents were reportedly killed, while several others sustained injuries.
The attackers were said to have struck again in the early hours of Sunday at Otukpo-Nobi, where local reports indicated that at least eight more people lost their lives.
The reported casualty figures had not been independently verified at the time of publication.
The renewed violence reportedly sparked protests in Otukpo, with youths marching to the palace of the Och’Idoma to demand urgent action from the government and security agencies to end the recurring attacks across Benue South.
Reacting to the incident, Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings, describing them as a brutal attack on innocent residents and the people of Benue State.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, the governor said the attackers invaded Akpachi village between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. while residents were asleep, leaving many people dead and several others injured.
Governor Alia said the attacks were intended to disrupt peace and stability in the state, adding that his administration would not allow criminal elements to terrorise local communities.
He directed security agencies to intensify surveillance and patrols in the affected areas, strengthen collaboration with neighbouring states and ensure that those responsible for the attacks are apprehended and prosecuted.
The governor also appealed to residents to support security agencies by providing timely and credible intelligence that could assist ongoing security operations.
The latest killings have heightened fears of renewed violence in Benue South, coming weeks after the murder of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Ardo Risku Mohammed.
Mr Risku and his associate, Yakubu Isa, were killed on June 26 near Okwudu in Otukpo Local Government Area while returning from a peace meeting organised by authorities in neighbouring Ohimini Local Government Area.
The incident drew widespread condemnation, with human rights organisation Amnesty International calling for a thorough, transparent and impartial investigation.
Governor Alia had also denounced the killing at the time, describing it as an attempt to undermine ongoing peace efforts, while directing security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible.
Days after the incident, the Benue State Police Command announced the arrest of 10 suspects in connection with the murder of the MACBAN chairman.
Although security authorities have not established any connection between the latest attacks and the earlier killing of Mr Risku, many residents believe the violence may be linked to the heightened tensions that followed his death.
The Benue State Police Command had not released an official statement on the latest attacks as of the time this report was filed.
