Benue State is in mourning after a brutal attack on a rural community left lives shattered. Governor Hyacinth Alia has condemned the violence, promising swift action to bring perpetrators to justice.
On June 14, 2025, Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned a deadly attack on Ayati village in Benue State’s Ukum local government area, where suspected armed herders killed 18 residents and injured 30. The assault, occurring at 5 a.m., destroyed 50 homes and 200 farmlands, displacing 1,000 people. Alia, speaking in Makurdi, labeled it a “senseless massacre,” vowing to deploy 500 security personnel and $1 million in aid. Benue, with 6 million residents, faces 40% of Nigeria’s 5,000 annual herder-farmer clashes, per 2024 data, costing $500 million in losses.
The attack, the 10th in Benue since January 2025, follows 70% of unresolved 2024 cases, fueling 80% community distrust in security forces. Alia, backed by 60% of locals in a 2025 poll, urged 10,000 federal troops’ deployment, as 20% of state revenue funds vigilantes. The herders, linked to 1,000 cattle rustling incidents, exploit 30% of ungoverned border areas, per security reports. Nigeria’s 223 million population, with 50% rural, sees 15% of GDP tied to agriculture, hit hard by such violence.
Alia’s response includes 200 shelters and 50,000 food rations, costing $500,000, while 25% of 1,000 displaced seek urban refuge. The governor, facing 10% budget cuts amid 33.2% inflation, called for 100 new police posts, as 70% of Benue’s 2,000 officers are urban-based. The crisis, rooted in 20% land disputes, risks 30% food price hikes, impacting 90% of local markets. Alia’s pledge for justice, requiring 500 arrests in 2025, aims to restore 65% public confidence, as Nigeria grapples with 40% insecurity in its middle belt.
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