At least 42 people were killed in a surge of coordinated attacks across Benue State’s Gwer West district over the weekend, in the latest outbreak of violence linked to Nigeria’s deepening land-use conflict in the Middle Belt.
Local authorities confirmed that 32 bodies were recovered from the villages of Ahume and Aondona following Sunday’s assault. A separate incident on Saturday claimed 10 lives in Tyolaha and Tse-Ubiam villages.
“This is a community under siege,” said Victor Omnin, chairman of the Gwer West local government, during a press briefing on Tuesday. “We are still recovering corpses as we speak. The scale of the killings is beyond words.”
Benue, part of Nigeria’s volatile Middle Belt, has long suffered from deadly clashes between nomadic herders and settled farmers. The region, a cultural and geographical crossroads between Nigeria’s mostly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, is particularly vulnerable to cycles of violence driven by disputes over farmland and grazing territory.
The governor’s office also reported that a Catholic priest was wounded in the attacks and remains in critical but stable condition.
The killings have renewed calls for decisive federal intervention in a region already battling insecurity, displacement, and failing trust in state protection. While the immediate identities of the attackers have not been confirmed, local officials and residents suspect heavily armed herders operating across state lines.
No group has claimed responsibility, and security forces have yet to make any arrests.
The violence comes as farming communities prepare for the planting season—an already tense period often marked by disputes over land ownership and access. Analysts warn that unless structural causes are addressed, including land reform and regional security cooperation, such tragedies may only intensify.