A new wave of coordinated violence across Benue, Kebbi, Imo, Ondo, and Kogi states has left at least 33 people dead, including farmers, hunters, and local leaders. The attacks, driven by bandits, herdsmen, and kidnappers, highlight Nigeria’s deepening security crisis.
- Benue: 15 traders returning from Oweto market killed by herdsmen in Agatu LGA.
- Kebbi: 15 farmers killed in Waje village during a bandit raid; police confirmed 10 deaths.
- Imo: Suspected herdsmen invaded two communities, injured one in gunfire.
- Ondo: APC local chairman Nelson Adepoyigi killed despite ransom payment.
- Kogi: Three hunters assisting a telecom team murdered in Ofoloke, days after monarch's abduction.
"We can't even bury our people," a resident of Agatu lamented, describing how corpses of the slain traders remained in the bush out of fear of a second ambush. In Kebbi, survivors recounted how bandits looted homes before opening fire. One victim’s brother in Kogi said, “They went to help others and didn’t come back. We’re tired of burying loved ones.”
Amid growing public outcry, regional leaders and Afenifere have renewed calls for state policing as a realistic solution to Nigeria’s decentralized insecurity. Without structural reforms, local communities fear these attacks will become a weekly norm, further eroding trust in federal intervention.
