Three Killed, One Missing as Violence Erupts in Anwule Community

Tension has once again gripped parts of Benue State after a retaliatory attack on the Anwule community in Ohimini Local Government Area left three people dead and one person missing.

According to security reports, the violence was triggered by the alleged killing of a young Fulani herder by local residents in late August, following an argument over cattle grazing on nearby farms.

What began as a dispute over farmland quickly spiraled into a cycle of revenge that would end in tragedy.

“They attacked the cattle, and in the process, the young boy herding them was killed,” a security source told Zagazola. “Up till now, his body has not been found. That incident changed everything.”

After the young herder’s disappearance, tension spread across Anwule. Villagers feared reprisal attacks, while herders reportedly searched for the boy’s remains. Night watches were organized, but instead of calming the situation, it only grew worse.

Another clash reportedly broke out on Monday, resulting in the death of another herder and several cattle.

“That second attack was the tipping point,” said another source. “Once a human life was involved again, everyone knew a reprisal was almost certain.”

The following morning, suspected herders carried out a coordinated assault on Anwule, setting houses ablaze and opening fire on residents. By the time soldiers from the Army Forward Operating Base in Otukpo arrived, three residents, Simon Nbach, Adoya Ejigai, and Ejeh Loko, had been killed. One person remains unaccounted for.

Among the victims was Nbach, a preacher with the Flaming Fire Ministry, whose death has sent shockwaves through the local Christian community.

Security personnel later assisted locals in recovering the deceased, while survivors fled to nearby villages, abandoning their homes and farmland out of fear of renewed violence.

In response, senior government officials, including Mr. Gabriel Adole, Chairman of Ohimini LGA, and Mr. Joseph Har, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Security, visited the affected area.
“We understand the grief and fear, but peace must be maintained,” Har said. “Security agencies are already on the trail of the perpetrators.”

Authorities have pledged tighter security patrols and urged residents to remain calm as investigations continue.