Insecurity: Terrorists attacking, killing Benue residents bent on grabbing land –Official

*The Benue State Government says the death toll from the attacks on communities in the Ukum and Logo local government areas that has risen to 72 indicates the organised nature of the violence with an ‘agenda beyond what is often reported as farmer-herder clashes’

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

As the death toll hits 72, the Benue State Government of Nigeria has blamed the recent attacks on communities in the state on criminals, described as “terrorists”, bent on grabbing land from the victims.

Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor of Benue State, noted this development while speaking on a Channels TV programme Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

Kula said the terrorists, invaded the affected communities with motorcycles and AK-47, and perpetrated their gruesome acts with the aim of sending the residents out of their ancestral homes.

The Benue Governor’s CPS explained: “What is happening in Benue State is rather unfortunate.

“Some people have decided to organise themselves and plan criminal attacks on the state.”

He also stated: “From what we are seeing, they come with the intent to grab land.”

The CPS, who confirmed that the death toll from the attacks on communities in the Ukum and Logo local government areas had risen to 72, said the organised nature of the violence indicated an agenda beyond what was often reported as farmer-herder clashes.

“They kill, maim, and chase people away from their ancestral homes, and then seek to occupy the lands left behind by the natives.

“This is not what you would call a farmer-herder clash. This is outright terrorism,” Kula said.

Shedding more light on the most recent wave of violence in the two local government areas in Benue, the governor’s aide said the attackers arrived from a neighbouring state in large numbers.

He stated: “They came on motorbikes, armed with AK-47 rifles, and attacked people in farms, markets, and even worship centres. That is why the death toll has risen to 72.”

Kula, however, stressed that referring to the attacks as clashes downplayed the brutality involved in the state.

He further said: “When someone is in their house or on their farm and is attacked without warning, that is not a clash.

“As long as we keep misrepresenting these attacks as clashes, people will continue to misunderstand what is truly happening in Benue State.”