15 killed in fresh attack on Efeyi community in Benue State

Early Tuesday morning, gunfire erupted in Efeyi community located in Ugboju District within Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. The assault, perpetrated by individuals suspected to be armed herders, commenced around 5am and claimed at least 15 lives.

Fourteen bodies were discovered in Efeyi-Ugboju, with an additional fatality occurring in neighboring Ipom on Monday. As of mid-morning, retrieval of remains continued, indicating the casualty count might increase further.

Governor Hyacinth Alia responded through Chief Press Secretary Tersoo Kula with a statement that condemned these killings and reaffirmed his commitment to protecting the populace from further assaults. Recognition went to the Benue State Police Command for its operational efforts, during which two suspected perpetrators were eliminated.

The governor declared that perpetrators of this violence would answer in court for their crimes against inhabitants of the state. This incident represents the second major assault affecting Otukpo in recent weeks.

Three weeks earlier, Otukpo Nobi—another settlement within the same council area—suffered a comparable attack resulting in eight fatalities. Community members voiced alarm about recurring violence and questioned whether security forces responded adequately.

One resident characterized conditions as dire, reporting that assailants maintained their assault for multiple hours before any intervention took place. Many wounded survivors required hospitalization for treatment of varying injury severities.

Locals acknowledged uncertainty about the total scale of harm owing to ongoing retrieval efforts still underway. The pattern of violent confrontations reflects persistent friction between pastoral and agricultural populations across multiple zones in Benue State, a tension that continues affecting the broader region.