By Okafor Joseph Afam
November 25, 2024

Thirteen people were brutally murdered in a devastating attack by suspected armed herdsmen in Azege settlement, Mbaya, Tombo Ward of Logo Local Government Area, Benue State. The victims, reportedly on their way to church, were ambushed and killed in a chilling wave of violence that also saw farmlands destroyed and homes razed in the coordinated assault.

Eyewitnesses described the attack as “coordinated and planned,” with survivors recounting how the assailants opened fire on harmless villagers, some of whom were butchered after being shot. Women and children were not spared in the massacre, which has left the community reeling in shock.

Uzenda, a local resident who narrowly escaped, stated that the attackers operated with impunity for hours, unleashing carnage before fleeing the scene, well before security operatives arrived. “They came with the sole purpose of destruction. Lives were lost, properties burned, and our farmlands turned into ashes,” he lamented.

Benue and Kaduna Under Siege

As Benue grapples with the horrors of armed herdsmen, Southern Kaduna faces a parallel crisis of banditry and kidnapping. The Ruruma community in Southern Kaduna recently raised an alarm over the catastrophic impact of insecurity in their area.

In a press statement issued on Sunday, the National President of the Ruruma community, Mr. Daniel Dallah, revealed that they had paid over N1 billion in ransoms to bandits and kidnappers over time. Despite these enormous financial sacrifices, the community remains under siege.

“Thirteen lives have been lost in recent attacks, and over 200 residents have been abducted,” Dallah reported. Bandits frequently invade the area, looting valuables and threatening further violence due to the absence of a military presence.

Call for Government Action

The continuous wave of insecurity in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration has left communities like Azege and Ruruma in a precarious state. While grieving their losses, residents are urging the government to take decisive action.

In Southern Kaduna, the Ruruma community appealed to the federal government to establish a military base in Kwasam, their local government headquarters. This, they hope, will deter further attacks and provide the security needed to rebuild their lives.

Meanwhile, in Benue, the lack of immediate response by security personnel has further highlighted the urgent need for reforms in Nigeria’s security infrastructure.

Both communities remain hopeful but skeptical, as they await tangible action to bring an end to the cycle of violence and restore peace.