Benue Governor blames armed foreign herders for escalating deadly attacks

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has attributed the latest wave of violent attacks in the state to armed herders who enter without cattle, saying they are responsible for the massacre in local communities.

Speaking during an interview with Channels Television on Monday, Alia said the attacks—particularly those in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area on June 14—were carried out by heavily armed men, not traditional herders. Over 100 people were initially reported killed, with the death toll climbing to 200 by Sunday.

The governor stated that the attackers often arrive from neighbouring Nasarawa State and, in some cases, through the Cameroon border, suggesting that some of the perpetrators are not Nigerians.

Alia noted that the pattern of attacks has evolved. “Before now, we were talking about the farmers/herders crisis,” he said. “Now it has become a situation where armed men—carrying AK-47s and AK-49s—are entering without cattle, killing residents, destroying communities, and then allowing new groups to settle in the vacated areas.”

He further alleged that insiders may be aiding the attackers: “A thief does not just go to a community unless someone from within leads them. This is what we suspect is happening now.”

The governor emphasized that the herders’ crisis has been hijacked by bandits and terrorists, complicating the security situation in the state.

The recent killings have triggered national outrage and concern over increasing insecurity in the Middle Belt region.