Police Arrest 11 Suspected Cultists After Eight Killed

On May 11, 2026, the Benue State Police Command arrested eleven suspected cultists in connection with an attack that left eight people dead in Makurdi. The incident occurred around 2:30 AM on Aliad Street, where armed men invaded a residential compound, dragging young men from their rooms and shooting them.

DSP Udem Edet confirmed the arrests, stating that preliminary investigations indicated the attack was carried out by a gang allegedly led by a suspect named Odinaka. Local government chairman Joseph Keffi described the attack, noting that four individuals were shot inside the compound while four others were killed outside.

Keffi urged security agencies to ensure proper prosecution of the suspects and highlighted the need for action against the group responsible for the violence, which has a history of previous attacks. The bodies of the victims were deposited at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital's private mortuary, as the community remained in shock over the latest cult-related killings.