At least 56 people have been reported dead following twin attacks in Benue State, central Nigeria, carried out by suspected nomadic cattle herders. The initial toll was revised sharply upwards from 17 to reflect the growing death toll, with search-and-rescue operations still underway, according to a government spokesman.
The attacks, which occurred earlier this week, have sparked widespread concern as clashes between nomadic herders and farmers continue to escalate. A police spokesperson confirmed that a large group of suspected militia launched a raid overnight in Benue’s Ukum area, resulting in the deaths of five farmers during the early hours of the attack. A second attack took place in Logo, approximately 70km from the first location, where 12 more people were killed.
These deadly incidents follow a series of similar clashes, including an attack in Otukpo, Benue, just two days earlier, which killed 11 people. The attacks in Benue are part of a broader pattern of violence that has plagued Nigeria’s Middle Belt region in recent years, fueled by tensions between nomadic Fulani herders and farming communities, often exacerbated by competition for dwindling resources.
The conflict has claimed over 500 lives since 2019 and displaced 2.2 million people, according to research firm SBM Intelligence. While the clashes are often framed in ethnoreligious terms, analysts point to climate change and land scarcity as key drivers behind the violence.
Source: Swifteradio.com
