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Gunmen have killed 23 people in four separate attacks in Benue state, Nigeria, according to a Red Cross official. The incidents occurred on Saturday night, marking the latest escalation in ongoing violence in the country’s central region.
The attacks targeted villages in the state, with clashes between nomadic herders and local farmers over land usage being a common cause of such violence. Anthony Abah, Red Cross secretary for Benue state, confirmed the deaths, stating, “Reports from the field have confirmed the killings of at least 23 people in various attacks.”
The killings took place in the villages of Ukum (eight dead), Logo (nine dead), Guma (three dead), and Kwande (three dead). Several others were injured during the assaults.
A police spokesperson said she was unaware of the attacks.
Cephas Kangeh, a retired manager from a state electricity company, spoke about the violence, mentioning a couple ambushed on a motorcycle by herders. He also noted that Chinese operators in the area, involved in gold mining, were not targeted during the attacks, raising questions about the selective nature of the violence.
The attacks come a month after a similar wave of violence in the region, which left more than 50 people dead. The conflict in Nigeria’s Middle Belt often has an ethnic and religious dimension, with many Fulani herders, who are Muslim, in conflict with Christian farmers.
This violence is exacerbated by climate change and expanding human settlements, which are increasing competition for land, further fueling the deadly clashes between farmers and herders.
