Suspected herdsmen launched a deadly assault on Mbaikyor community in Benue State’s Gwer East Local Government Area, killing seven residents and injuring five on Tuesday, April 14, 2025, at about 5:30 PM, according to Kennedy Angbo, a lawmaker in the Benue State House of Assembly.
The attackers, armed with rifles, stormed the agrarian village, targeting farmers returning from fields, burning 12 homes, and looting livestock, per police reports. The violence displaced over 200 residents, now sheltered in makeshift camps, local leaders said.
Angbo, representing Gwer East, described the attack as “unprovoked,” urging federal intervention to curb Benue’s recurring herdsmen clashes, which killed 150 in 2024, per Amnesty International. The state police confirmed deploying tactical units, recovering three bodies by midnight, with four more found Wednesday. Governor Hyacinth Alia, visiting survivors, pledged ₦10 million in relief, but locals criticized delayed security response. The attack follows a March 2025 truce between farmers and herders, now frayed, with 2025 seeing 300 deaths nationwide in similar conflicts, per Vanguard.