• How land disputes fuel deadly violence
Benue State’s fertile lands, once a source of prosperity and pride, have become a battleground. Known as the nation’s “Food Basket,” this agricultural heartland is now ravaged by deadly clashes between indigenous farmers and Fulani herders fighting over land. With communities shattered and countless lives lost, the conflict exposes deep-rooted threats to livelihoods and security. The June 14 massacre in Yelwata and the ensuing displacement crisis underscore the urgent need for lasting peace, reports SANNI ONOGU.
For the people of Benue State, their vast and fertile arable land has become more of a curse than a blessing. Known as the “Food Basket of the Nation,” Benue’s rich soil is both its pride and its predicament. This is due to longstanding conflicts marked by violence between native farmers and Fulani herders. Located in Nigeria’s North Central region, Benue experiences a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The state covers over 35,000 square kilometers across 23 Local Government Areas, boasting fertile soil ideal for agriculture. Major rivers such as the Benue and Katsina-Ala provide ample water for irrigation and nourish fertile alluvial plains, enabling year-round farming.
Benue is a leading producer of staple crops like yam, rice, cassava, maize, soybeans and palm oil, as well as high-quality fruits including oranges and mangoes, with vast orchards spread throughout the state. Its people have harnessed this natural wealth, making agriculture a prolific and vital part of life. However, the same vast grasslands and lush floodplains, with their year-round water supply, have attracted herders in large numbers—much like honey draws flies. According to Governor Hyacinth Alia, quoted by his media adviser Solomon Iorpev in an opinion piece for the Daily Asset Newspaper, 90 per cent of Benue’s population is engaged in agriculture. Speaking at the Agricultural Summit Africa (ASA) 2024 in Abuja, Governor Alia outlined the state’s strategic plan: “Our strategy is simple: 90 per cent of our people are already farming. We intend to make agriculture profitable for the farmer.”
Yet, this vision has been severely hindered by violent conflicts between farmers and herders, resulting in numerous killings, cattle rustling and destruction of farms and property by armed herder groups. One tragic example is the June 14 attack in Yelwata, a community in Guma Local Government Area. The violence claimed over 100 lives, including women and children, injured more than 100 people, and displaced over 5,000 residents to an IDP camp. The once-thriving town now lies deserted. The massacre in Yelwata sparked widespread condemnation across Nigeria and the international community, with urgent calls for the Federal and Benue state governments to take decisive action to prevent future violence. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited the state to console the victims and proposed a roadmap to restore peace. He also promised increased deployment of police and armed forces to bolster security throughout the state.
Following President Tinubu’s visit, our correspondent’s trip to Benue and Yelwata revealed a strengthened security presence in the area. Investigations suggest that the rich natural resources of Benue—its fertile land and abundant vegetation—make it an attractive haven for herders seeking fodder for their cattle. While the majority of Benue’s people depend on farming for their livelihood, herders have increasingly migrated into the area, creating intense competition for land use. Farmers need the land to cultivate crops that sustain their families and communities, while herders rely on the lush grasslands to feed their cattle, which are also their means of survival. This clash over resources remains at the heart of Benue’s ongoing crisis, making it a critical issue that demands urgent resolution.
During President Tinubu’s visit to console Benue State over the Yelwata massacre, the paramount ruler of the Tiv Nation, Tor Tiv V, His Royal Majesty James Ayatse, described the deteriorating security crisis as a “calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits.” He emphasised that this conflict has persisted for decades and is worsening annually.
“Mr. President, it is not herders versus farmers’ clashes. It is not communal clashes; it is not reprisal attacks,” Ayatse asserted. However, he lamented that political actors in the state have chosen to politicise the crisis rather than unite to quell the violence.
Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, traced the root of the conflict to disputes over “the farm” or land use. In an interview at the Benue State Police Command in Makurdi, CP Emenari supported the Tor Tiv’s view, explaining that the crisis is not simply about farmers protecting their crops from cattle, but about “armed men patrolling people’s farms and forcing them from their ancestral homes.” When asked if the police had identified the root causes of the prolonged killings, which some attribute to political, inter-communal, or farmer-herder conflicts, Emenari replied: “All these factors contribute to the insecurity challenge in the state. But everything boils down to the farm. That is where most clashes and killings occur. Even incidents not directly on farms are linked to what happened on the farm.”
He explained, “Take Yelwata for example. It’s not a farm but a rural town. Similar attacks have occurred in a few other rural towns. But generally, conflicts arise over disagreements about who owns or uses the farm. Everyone knows the ownership, but the dispute over usage is what drives the tension. All these factors you mentioned fuel this issue.” Emenari noted that farmer-herder conflicts are not new in Nigeria and have traditionally been resolved locally: “Animals must graze, and sometimes they stray into farms, damaging crops, which farmers then ward off. Local communities have always had mechanisms to handle this.” However, he stressed, “The current problem is not about animals eating crops or farmers shooing them away. It’s about armed men patrolling farms and forcing people from their ancestral lands. This is what complicates the matter, and the other factors capitalise on this core issue.”
He explained that while some actors have gained political capital from the violence and instability, the root cause remains the dispute over farmland. “Some people want peace and an end to the conflict, but it’s also true that others may benefit from the problem and thus have no interest in stopping it,” he said.
Adding to the conversation, Aondowase Kunde, Commissioner for Humanitarian and Disaster Management in Benue State, attributed the frequent killings and property destruction to land grabbing by Fulani militias. “The real issue is land grabbing by these herders. In the past, we coexisted peacefully with the Fulani, but these militias came specifically to seize Benue land,” he explained. Supporting this claim, Peter Akra, a 43-year-old resident of Yelwata, told our correspondent that bandits have prevented locals from planting crops or accessing their farms. “Since the rainy season began, we haven’t been able to farm even once because they don’t allow us. We are farmers, and if we can’t farm, how will we feed ourselves or pay our children’s school fees?” Akra lamented.
He added, “They bring their cattle into our farms to eat and destroy our crops, forcing us to flee. If anyone is found farming, they are chased away at gunpoint. We have no other problem with them; this is all we know.” When asked about past conflicts, Akra said, “No, they attack us daily. In 2021, they killed my wife and four children near this market. We have no means to fight back. Attacks on Yelwata happen every day, but that day, they killed many and burned homes.” Akra, one of four men our correspondent met in deserted Yelwata, said the government is aware of the situation. “Some of our children are in government, and we have told them what’s happening. But these attacks have persisted through successive administrations. We reported the crisis, but no help came. That’s why we seem resigned.”
He described their current plight: “We sleep outside by the expressway, exposed to mosquitoes and cold, because our homes were destroyed. My mother-in-law is in the IDP camp. My wife just returned from the camp this morning so she could help care for what remains in our house.” Regarding sustenance, Akra said, “The government provides food at the IDP camp, but here we have no food or wives. Someone kindly brought us food to share and eat.”
Reliving the night of the attack, Akra recounted, “What happened that day was an outright assault. The Fulani herders came around midnight, around 12 a.m., and started shooting across the road. Our boys went to investigate what was happening. Suddenly, some attackers appeared in the new market across the road and began shooting and setting fire to people inside their rooms.
“For example, this shop here,” he said, pointing nearby, “they entered and killed one of our pharmacists who worked with the Federal Medical Centre, Apir. They shot him dead here and burned many others. They destroyed the entire area—the shops, stores, and all the properties. People were burned alive inside their rooms.” When asked what the community wants from the government after the massacre and mass displacement, Akra said, “We want peace to return. Someone once said, ‘This is not my house,’ but you (herder terrorists) chased me from my village to town, from town to the road. Where do you want me to go? We need the government to intervene and provide security so we can live peacefully and return to our farms to grow food. We also want help to rebuild our homes and shops that were burned down.”
A resident of Otukpo, who preferred to remain anonymous, stated, “What’s happening goes beyond farmer/herder clashes. This is genocide and ethnic cleansing. They want to eliminate the people so they can seize the land and feed their cattle without opposition. It’s a jihad.
When people talk about farmer/herder clashes, it implies both sides are armed and fighting. But here, the farmers just sit peacefully at home, and by midnight, attackers come unprovoked, kill, and leave.
“These armed men come in large groups, kill as many as they want, and disappear without being traced or challenged. Despite the numerous security checkpoints in Benue, none of these attackers are arrested.”
Regarding whether the killings are revenge for the death of a bandit leader like Gana, the resident explained, “Gana’s group operated mainly in the Shankera axis—Logo, Ukum, and Katsina-Ala local government areas. These areas have been targeted by local terrorists loyal to the late Terwase Gana, but their activities don’t go beyond those regions.
“The Fulani, however, have killed far more people in Idoma land than in Tiv areas. The Yelwata attack gained more attention, but killings have been ongoing in Apa and Agatu local governments. In Otukpo alone, attacks have been frequent, sometimes lasting three days straight without challenge. They’ve also attacked Umogidi, Adoka, and Ohimini. Agatu and Apa remain under constant threat. There are IDP camps in Apa, Agatu, and Otukpo—Idoma land—but these attacks receive little attention.
“The governor has never visited any attack sites in Benue South. After the massacre in Yelwata, which affected his Tiv kinsmen, he acted quickly to prevent protests. It was only after activist VeryDarkMan led a protest that drew international attention that the President visited Benue.”
Addressing reports that some of the killings are politically motivated to portray the governor as inefficient on security, he said, “My brother, let me tell you, no sane person would want their own people killed just to score political points. Even if you want to be relevant, the people being killed are your voters too. If everyone is killed, who will vote for you or the person you sponsor in 2027?” He continued, “If anyone is sponsoring killings, it should be directed at the state government because the governor is the chief security officer. He knows everything. In fact, the Nasarawa state governor openly admitted on Channels TV three days ago that he was aware of the impending attack on Yelwata, and Governor Alia also received intelligence about armed men planning to attack.
“The Nasarawa governor said it was Governor Alia who forwarded the intelligence to him, reporting attacks expected in Yelwata and other communities. The question is, what did he do with this information? The attacks still happened under his watch!”
In a phone interview, Mr. Umishi Terungwa, a farmer from Ayilamo in Tombo Ward, Logo Local Government Area, shared the impact of the crisis: “I speak from my village, Ayilamo, the headquarters of Tombo Council Ward. The constant killings have severely affected us. The economy has shrunk, and people can no longer carry out normal activities. Many villages have been deserted due to the crisis, which has lasted over 11 years. People cannot access their farms.
Large villages in the Shankera area remain abandoned following the Fulani invasion. Most have relocated to Ayilamo.”
Asked about farmers near rivers and waterways being unable to reach their farms, Terungwa explained, “For example, Anyevbe is close to the River Benue, near the crossing to Nasarawa and Awe. These people are primarily farmers. This is the rainy season when they should be planting rice, but they cannot access their farms. There are areas near the riverbank now completely empty. Farming activities have stopped. The terrorists have taken over our forests, and they remain armed there, preventing us from farming.”
“Just a day or two ago, very close to the suburb of Ayilamo Council Ward, five people were killed unexpectedly while working on their farms. I have pictorial evidence of one who was buried today—another victim of these attacks. The soldiers here don’t seem to help much. When we report incidents, they only accompany us to retrieve the bodies, but they don’t patrol the forests or take action to drive the attackers away. We also have a small Mobile Police presence, but they rarely go into those areas. I don’t know if the government isn’t supporting them financially or what instructions they’ve been given, but they are not acting swiftly to control the situation. This is the challenge we face.”
He said he is unsure why the herders have effectively put Benue’s towns and villages under siege. “They claim some people rustle their cattle, which they say is their reason for attacking,” he explained. “But some of those killed don’t even live near the cattle.” He added, “They enter your farm with their cattle, and if you complain, that’s the start of your problem. They might machete or kill you instantly. I don’t fully understand if this is a deliberate genocidal plan against our people. I honestly don’t know.” When asked about community efforts to protect themselves, he said, “We have vigilantes and hunters for protection. But hunters are less equipped—they only carry Dane guns. The Fulani, however, have sophisticated weapons, and our people cannot match them.”
Police: ‘We’ve taken the fight to the bandits — the farms are Free’
According to CP Emenari, security forces have made significant progress in apprehending suspects connected to the June 14th Yelwata massacre, with 26 individuals arrested so far, including Fulani leaders (Ardos) and local collaborators. Speaking to journalists in Makurdi, CP Emenari confirmed that law enforcement, under the directive of President Tinubu, has taken a proactive approach, aggressively pursuing attackers in their hideouts following the brutal killings of over 150 civilians in Yelwata community. “Since the President visited and gave a matching order, we’ve stepped up our response. We’ve arrested 26 suspects. You may be surprised to know that some of them are leaders of cultural organizations. Two Ardos are among those arrested. We also discovered some locals in Yelwata helped outsiders carry out the massacre,” Emenari revealed.
He confirmed that the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team (IRT) has been instrumental in tracking down suspects across multiple states. “They’ve done marvelous work. Many of the perpetrators are on the run, but we are closing in. Several have been picked up already,” he said.
CP Emenari outlined the current security architecture in Yelwata, noting that the town has been placed in a full security cordon, with mobile police units stationed on all flanks and a military base now active in the area. “We’ve reinforced Yelwata. It’s no longer easy for attackers to sneak in. The police post is now centrally located, with Mobile Police on both sides and soldiers backing them. We’ve also deployed APCs (Armoured Personnel Carriers) to ensure mobility and quick response,” he said.
The reinforced operations cover not only Yelwata but also surrounding communities like Ortese, which recently experienced similar attacks. “We are patrolling the entire axis, working in synergy with other security agencies. With support from the state government, our men are motivated and taking the battle directly to the terrorists,” he said.
Following the President’s visit and federal directives, the Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has sent additional 12 Mobile Police Squadrons, four tactical teams, and air surveillance units to Benue.
Emenari praised the logistical and morale support from both the Federal Government and Governor Alia. “The IGP’s support is holistic – logistics, manpower, intelligence, and air surveillance. The Governor has also been supportive with welfare and logistics. These efforts have allowed us to effectively engage and pursue the criminals,” he said.
On restoring long-term peace, CP Emenari emphasised the need for lawful coexistence between farmers and herders, urging both parties to embrace the rule of law and reject violence. “The Nigerian Constitution and Benue State laws have enough provisions to protect everyone. Both herders and farmers must live in peace. Where there are conflicts, legal mechanisms must be used—not violence,” he asserted. He acknowledged the protracted nature of the crisis, which has lasted for over a decade, displacing thousands. “Some children born in the IDP camps are now 15 years old. That tells you how long this has lasted. But with the joint efforts of federal and state governments, and the current reinforcements, we believe we can finally turn the tide,” Emenari said.
Despite heightened security operations across Benue State, Commissioner of Police CP Emenari has warned that the perpetrators of the June 14th Yelwata massacre and other coordinated attacks continue to attempt psychological warfare by publicising isolated incidents to project control and instill fear among citizens. “What we’re seeing now is that these hoodlums are desperate. They know we’re closing in, so they try to discourage government efforts or deceive the world into thinking they’re still in charge. But they are not,” Emenari stated.
He explained that while security has improved across affected areas, the vast and rural nature of farmlands makes total coverage difficult. “The farms are now free. But because Benue has massive farmlands, they can ambush isolated farmers before help arrives. They attack, then publicise it to create panic,” he said.
Citing specific areas of improvement, the CP pointed to Apa and Naka — two previously volatile hotspots — as examples of recent success. “In the last two months, Apa was the epicentre of attacks. But for the past three to four weeks, there’s been no incident there. We deployed tactical teams to stabilize the area,” Emenari said. “Naka was worse than Yelwata. But now, Naka has been calm. These are signs that the tide is turning.”
He reiterated that the police are not targeting any ethnic or occupational group but are strictly going after armed criminals, including bandits and militant herdsmen who use firearms, machetes, and daggers to attack farmers. “This is not about herders or farmers. We are against bandits, against armed attackers who slit the throats of farmers in their own fields. Those are criminals, and we will pursue them — regardless of tribe.”
According to CP Emenari, improved synergy between the Benue State Government, local government chairmen, and security agencies, combined with increased public alertness, has strengthened the fight against rural violence. “The people are waking up too. They are working with the government and supporting security agencies. If you can’t fight the bandits, you can shout, you can call for help,” he said.
He also praised Governor Hyacinth Alia for empowering local leaders and continuously supporting security forces with logistics and operational backing. “The Governor empowered all LG chairmen to coordinate closely with security forces. Everyone is involved now. We hold regular security meetings and update each other. That unity is making a difference,” he added.
When asked if the people of Benue can finally sleep with their eyes closed, the CP responded optimistically: “If Apa and Naka can sleep in peace for the last three weeks, then yes, we are getting there. It’s a gradual process, but we’ve made progress. The farms are no longer under the control of bandits,” he asserted. He concluded by honouring the sacrifices of fallen officers and local security outfits, including members of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guard (BSCVG): “We’ve made a lot of sacrifices. Some of our men and the state security volunteers have paid the supreme price. But we will not let their sacrifices be in vain. Benue is on its way to total recovery. We’re clearing out the threats — and we won’t allow them to return.”
