Benue State, in the north central part of Nigeria, is regularly shaken by tensions between herders and farmers.
Police report at least 10 people killed in a recent attack by suspected ranchers.
These new attacks occurred in the rural community of Gwer, in the north of Benue State. One resident quoted by AFP claims to have seen “a large number of men armed with sophisticated weapons and shooting at anything before shaving people’s houses and huts.”
For its part, the police claim to have found ten dead bodies. No indication has been given about the identity of the perpetrators of this attack.
Police are exploring two tracks: “armed bandits” and “cattle thieves” from neighboring Nasarawa state.
The police finally announce having reinforced the security operations in this zone, destabilized by several militias.
In Makurdi, the capital of the state of Benue, the atmosphere remains tense. The governor’s team points to “a militia hired by herdsmen”.
This renewed violence comes a few days after the departure of the military deployed six weeks to stabilize the region. Breeders’ and farmers’ associations, who were very hopeful of this presence, are now unanimously expressing their weariness in the face of this climate of violence.
