Armed herdsmen kill 11 in fresh attack in north-central Nigeria

LAGOS, Nigeria

At least 11 people have been killed in a renewed attack by armed herdsmen on the Afia community in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State in north-central Nigeria.

The incident comes barely five days after the killing of over 50 farmers in the state.

According to Iyorkyaa Kaave, a leader in the affected community, the attack on Tuesday afternoon was “unprovoked and part of a calculated agenda to displace indigenous farmers.”

“Today's attack on Afia was particularly brutal, as the armed assailants stormed the community, firing sporadically at residents and leaving 11 dead on the spot, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries,” he said.

The north-central region of Nigeria has in the last few months, experienced a surge in violence between farmers and herders. The attacks across several communities in the region have led to the deaths of more than 100 people in two weeks.

Nigeria's farmer-herder conflict is one of the country's gravest challenges in recent years. At the heart of the conflict is competing claims over land and water resources as well as issues related to obstruction of traditional migration routes, livestock theft, and crop damage.

While Benue police spokesperson Sewuese Anene said efforts are ongoing to restore normalcy in the Afia community, residents have urged President Bola Tinubu to take decisive action, warning against any move to negotiate with those behind the killings.