Lagos: The number of people killed in recent attacks by suspected herdsmen in Nigeria’s Benue State has climbed to 56, according to Governor Hyacinth Alia. The governor confirmed the updated death toll on Saturday during a visit to the affected communities in the Logo and Ukum Local Government Areas.
Initially, the police reported 17 fatalities, but local media cited Governor Alia stating that more bodies were discovered in the aftermath. “Earlier today, more bodies were recovered in Logo LGA, bringing the count there to 27,” he told reporters, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. Additional victims were found in Ukum LGA, increasing the total death toll to 29 in that area. The governor expressed concern that the numbers could still rise.
These attacks mark a resurgence of violence in the region, which has suffered years of deadly clashes between farming communities and nomadic herders. The conflict has severely impacted food production in north-central Nigeria, a key agricultural zone.
Just days earlier, 11 people were killed in a similar attack in Otukpo, also in Benue. In neighboring Plateau State, more than 50 lives were lost in an assault on Monday night.
Since 2019, such violence has claimed over 500 lives and displaced more than 2.2 million people, according to data from SBM Intelligence.
Meanwhile, police reported that five farmers were shot dead by suspected herdsmen in Gbagir, Ukum LGA, early Friday. During an attempted police intervention, gunmen opened fire, sparking a confrontation. As officers engaged the attackers in Ukum, a separate assault claimed 12 lives in Logo, roughly 70 kilometers away.
