Herder Attacks in Nigeria Leave 56 Dead
Deadly clashes in central Nigeria’s Benue State leave 56 dead
The death toll in attacks by suspected cattle herders on communities in central Nigeria’s Benue State has risen to 56, Governor Hyacinth Alia confirmed on Saturday. This tragic incident highlights the resurgence of deadly clashes in Africa’s most populous nation.
Reports from local media quoted the governor as he visited the villages in Logo and Ukum Local Government Areas (LGAs) that were targeted in the attacks. Initially, the police had reported the figure at 17, but Governor Alia revealed that more bodies were discovered, bringing the total to 56 lives lost in just one night.
The escalating violence in the region has disrupted food supplies from north-central Nigeria, a critical agricultural area. Just this week, suspected herders killed 11 people in the Otukpo area of Benue and gunmen in the neighboring Plateau State took the lives of more than 50 individuals.
These clashes have been ongoing since 2019 and have claimed the lives of over 500 people in the region, with 2.2 million forced to flee their homes, as reported by research firm SBM Intelligence. The situation remains quite devasting as innocent lives continue to be lost in these senseless acts of violence.
