In a chilling turn of events on Tuesday evening, violence once again descended on the Otobi community in Akpa district, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, where a fresh wave of attacks by suspected armed herders has left multiple people feared dead and hundreds displaced.
The sun was just beginning to set when the quiet of the rural community was shattered by gunfire.
What followed was a familiar nightmare for many residents: panic, flight, and loss.
“We are being attacked by herdsmen at Otobi community,” Edwin Emma, a local resident, cried over the phone to a group of journalists. “My wife and children are fleeing the community as I speak, please call for help.”
The details of the attack are still emerging, but early reports suggest that at least three bodies have been recovered so far.
The exact death toll remains unclear as search efforts continue amid chaos and uncertainty.
Kennedy Angbo, a member of the Benue State House of Assembly representing Otukpo-Akpa, confirmed the assault, stating that the violence began around 5:30 p.m.
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He described the situation as dire, with a mass exodus underway as terrified residents abandoned their homes in search of safety.
“This is not the first time,” Angbo lamented. “It is the third attack in Otobi just this month alone. People are living in fear every day.”
Efforts to reach the Benue State Police spokesperson, Catherine Anene, for official confirmation were unsuccessful, as calls to her line went unanswered.
The incident adds to the growing list of violent clashes between farming communities and armed herders in Nigeria’s Middle Belt—an area long plagued by land disputes, dwindling resources, and a deepening security crisis.
For now, Otobi bleeds in silence, its people once again caught between survival and sorrow—left to bury their dead and rebuild their lives in the shadow of yet another brutal raid.