A Councillorship aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Amedu Agaba, and four others were killed on Wednesday night following renewed violence between armed herdsmen and locals in Okpomaju village, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Several people sustained injuries, while about 10 others remain missing.
The crisis reportedly began earlier in the week when suspected armed herdsmen allegedly mistook local hunters for enemies, resulting in the deaths of three individuals.
In an attempt to restore peace, the traditional ruler, Och’Otukpo Odu, Chief John Eimonye, had summoned a meeting between Fulani leaders and Okpomaju community representatives.
Despite initial agreements, violence escalated on Wednesday night when gunmen stormed the community, firing indiscriminately and destroying homes, food barns, and farmlands.
According to a local source, the attackers, numbering about 12 and armed with sophisticated weapons, launched an unprovoked assault.
Among the victims were a man identified as Peter, popularly known as JPG, and another named Moses.
Agaba, an APC member and former Councillorship candidate in the last local government elections, was also among those killed. Search efforts later recovered additional bodies, bringing the death toll to five.
The renewed violence has forced residents of Okpomaju and neighboring communities, including Odudaje, Amla, Emichi, Otukpo-Icho, and Otada (home to the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo), to flee their homes.
Otukpo Local Government Chairman, Maxwell Ogiri, confirmed the attack, stating that security forces, including the police and military, had been deployed to prevent further violence.
Deputy Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ode, who hails from Otukpo, visited the affected area on Thursday to assess the situation and urge both parties to embrace peace.
Attempts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, for further comments were unsuccessful.
