A tragic wave of violence has once again engulfed Benue State as suspected armed herdsmen launched a deadly assault on the Ukohol community in Guma Local Government Area, killing at least three people, including a respected village head and retired educator.
The victims of Thursday’s attack include Zaki Aondohemba Isho, a traditional head and former school headmaster, and Mr. Uger Sember, also a retired headmaster.
A third yet-to-be-identified man was also killed. One other victim reportedly sustained serious injuries, while two others remain missing as of press time.
Ukohol is just a 10-minute drive from Yelewata — the site of a massacre less than a month ago, where over 200 lives were lost in a similar violent incursion.
The fresh killings have reignited fear and outrage in a region that has become synonymous with bloodshed in recent years.
According to local sources, the victims had gone to their farms in the afternoon to plant crops when they were ambushed. “They were working when the herders suddenly appeared and opened fire,” a resident said under the condition of anonymity. “They shot all three dead and set the village head’s motorcycle ablaze.”
One boy who had accompanied the group narrowly escaped death but suffered injuries. He is currently receiving medical care in a clinic in Daudu.
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The violence has sparked widespread grief. Reverend Father Mfa Tivdoo, a Catholic priest and acquaintance of the late Zaki Isho, expressed sorrow over the killing on social media. “Chief Bernard Isho Sumari was one of the most hardworking farmers I knew. Just last week he stopped by my farm for a chat after a PTA meeting,” the priest wrote. “Now, he’s gone — murdered in cold blood.”
Efforts to reach the Benue State Police spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful, leaving many to question the state’s readiness to respond to continued insecurity in the region.
The brutal attack comes amid rising concerns over the frequency and scale of violence attributed to armed herdsmen across Benue.
Despite repeated government promises, many communities feel abandoned in the face of what some are now calling “coordinated ethnic cleansing.”
Calls for action have once again intensified, with civil society groups urging the federal government to deploy more security forces and provide lasting solutions to the herder-farmer conflict devastating central Nigeria.
As families mourn and survivors recover, the haunting question from Fr. Tivdoo’s post lingers in the air: “When will this end?”