In one of the bloodiest weekends in recent memory, no fewer than 30 people were gruesomely murdered in coordinated attacks across Kebbi and Benue states on Saturday, May 17, throwing entire communities into mourning and further fuelling national outrage over Nigeria’s deteriorating security.
In Kebbi State, armed bandits stormed Waje village, Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area, around nightfall, opening fire on unsuspecting farmers who were wrapping up the day’s work. Eyewitnesses say 15 lives were lost, while three others were seriously injured in the unprovoked carnage.
A local, Malam Abdullahi, recounted the nightmare:
“The bandits came on motorcycles, fully armed. They shot at anyone they saw in the farms. Most of those killed were preparing to return home.”
While locals insist the death toll stands at 15, the Kebbi State Police Command claims only 10 people were confirmed dead, with Commissioner of Police Nafiu Abubakar acknowledging the incident but playing down the figures.
In swift response, Deputy Governor Umar Tafida, who visited the traumatised community, condemned the act and delivered a ₦24 million relief package to the victims and bereaved families.
“We are here on behalf of the Governor, Nasir Idris, to commiserate with you. This savagery has no place in our society,” Tafida stated.
While Kebbi mourned, a fresh horror was unfolding hundreds of kilometres away in Benue State, where another set of gunmen ambushed traders returning from the Oweto market in Agatu Local Government Area, leaving 15 people dead in what locals have dubbed the “Abekoko Massacre.”
According to eyewitnesses and community leaders, the attack occurred along the Ogwumogbo–Okpo’okpolo route, near a small stream known as Abekoko, where the assailants had laid in wait.
READ ALSO: Borno Bleeds: 12 Insurgent Attacks in 3 Weeks Leave Dozens Dead, Communities in Fear
“Five people were killed instantly between Ogbayi and Ogwumogbo,” said John Ikwulono, a former Vice Chairman of Agatu LGA. “One was identified as Ali. The others remain unidentified.”
Although the identities of the attackers remain unconfirmed, an aide to the Agatu LGA Chairman, Melvin James, alleged the assailants were armed herdsmen—a claim not yet verified by authorities.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command, through spokesperson CSP Catherine Anene, said they had not received official reports on the incident.
This fresh bloodshed comes amid escalating violence across Benue. From April 1 to May 17, at least 174 deaths have been recorded in separate attacks across Gwer East, Guma, Otukpo, Kwande, Apa, Makurdi, and Sankera, where 83 people were slaughtered within just five days in April.
Many fear the actual death toll is far worse, with numerous attacks in remote locations going unreported.
As communities bury their dead and survivors grapple with trauma, calls for urgent federal intervention grow louder. For many Nigerians, the question remains the same:
How many more must die before action replaces rhetoric?