Four Policemen Feared Dead in Benue as Armed Herders Return Two Weeks After Yelewata Massacre
Two weeks after suspected armed herders attacked Yelewata community in Benue State, killing over 200 people, another deadly wave of violence has hit the state—this time leaving at least four Mobile Policemen feared dead in Udei, Guma Local Government Area.
According to Vanguard Newspaper, the fresh attack happened around 2 p.m. on Sunday after a series of raids in neighbouring communities including Asha, Ortese, and Daudu. Witnesses said the herders, who began their assault around 11 a.m., stormed Asha and began shooting sporadically, forcing farmers to flee. The violence spilled into Ortese, home to thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
“They began pursuing people from their farms, and it escalated to Ortese,” said Matthew Mnyan, a community leader and former acting Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, in an interview with Vanguard. “It got to the point that the soldiers there moved in with their armoured truck… they engaged them for up to one hour in the bush.”
Mnyan said the attackers then turned toward Udei, where they killed four Mobile Policemen in a gun battle. “I was told they are still around even now. They have reappeared at Ortese this evening. As we speak, people are in fear,” he said.
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The attack comes amid heightened insecurity across the North Central region, with Ortese’s already displaced population now facing fresh threats of violence.
