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INSECURITY: Armed herders attack reportedy leaves family of eight dead, nine others
A family of eight and nine others have been reportedly killed in what appeared to be a coordinated attack by armed herdsmen on communities in Ukum and Logo Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State.
Several people also sustained severe injuries, while many have gone missing.
The attack came less than 24 hours after residents of the area raised the alarm over the influx of AK-47-bearing herders who moved freely around the communities, unrestricted.
A source in the area disclosed that the armed herdsmen stormed Tyuluv, Saror, and Mbawar communities Thursday night, “and started shooting indiscriminately into early Friday and killing several persons and injured many.”
“Before the attack, they came to our communities with thousands of cows armed with AK-47 rifles, but no one could talk to them because they were ready to kill anyone.
“As we speak, people are fleeing their homes, and the painful thing is that nowhere is safe anymore because they are almost everywhere.
“Among those they killed in Ukum was a family of eight, including children and women who could not escape before they got to them.
“From what we heard, the people also attacked neighboring Logo LGA, and this morning, corpses were being moved from the villages to the mortuary at Anyiin. Those killed in the two LGAs were so many.
“From all indications, they want to take over the Sankera axis of Benue State, which is the food basket of the state. It is a dire situation because our people are already preparing to commence the season’s farming, and this is happening. Food is already very expensive in the state, and now this is happening.”
Confirming the development, the Benue State Police Command, in a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Chief Superintendent CSP Catherine Anene, said 17 bodies had been removed from the scenes of the attacks.
Part of the statement read, “On April 17, 2025, at about 9 p.m., information was received that a large number of suspected militia had invaded the Sankera axis of Benue State with the intention to attack communities around Gbagir, Ukum LGA.
“Upon receipt of this report, the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Police Command, Mr. Steve Yabanet, ordered tactical teams to move to the area and join forces with police officers on the ground and other security agencies to forestall the attack.
“Following this order, a team of officers moved to the area and engaged them. While the attackers were being repelled in the early hours of today, they shot sporadically at unsuspecting farmers as they came across them.
Five persons were recovered in the Gbagir area and taken to the hospital, where they were confirmed dead.
“Unfortunately, an unsuspected simultaneous attack was carried out in Logo LGA, where 12 persons were killed before the arrival of the police, making a total of 17 persons.
“However, security agencies within the Sankera axis are still engaging the bandits as they retreat back to the forest around the Taraba axis.
“The Police Commissioner warns social media users who are reporting unconfirmed reports and inciting the general public to desist from such actions that are capable of creating unnecessary tension in the state.
“He reiterates his commitment to fight the attackers and encourages the good people of Sankera to continue to cooperate with the police as the operation is ongoing.”
A police Inspector, Christian Gbaratee, was killed after gunmen ambushed a team of police officers on Tuesday along the Port Harcourt–Aba Road.
A counter-insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, disclosed this via his X handle on Thursday.
Quoting police sources, Makama stated that the incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. while the officers were returning from a trip in Rivers State.
He also disclosed that the armed assailants, numbering five, were dressed in combat attire during the ambush.
He wrote, “A team of officers, including ASP Victor Eze and Inspector Nwanochi Ndubuisi, were returning from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, when they were intercepted by five armed assailants dressed in combat attire. The attack took place on a narrow road after a filling station along the Port Harcourt–Aba Road, Asa.
“During the confrontation, Inspector Christian Gbaratee was shot dead, while Inspector Ekoro Isong went missing. The gun stolen from Gbaratee during the attack, as well as the suspect who had been in custody, were taken by the assailants.”
He further disclosed that a prompt response by the police led to the recovery of a Toyota Corolla and other items, including expended ammunition, a laptop, and three travel bags.
“Additionally, Inspector Isong later surfaced unharmed. The body of the late Inspector Gbaratee has been deposited at the Euro Allied Medical Centre Mortuary for autopsy.
“A search operation in collaboration with military personnel is ongoing to track down the attackers and recover the stolen firearm,” he added.
By Francesca Hangeior
President Bola Tinubu has stated that the Federal Government is taking concrete steps to protect the dignity and future of every Nigerian child, even as he said plans have been concluded to establish a Child Protection and Development Agency to coordinate all issues affecting Nigerian children in a unified and focused manner.
Tinubu spoke on Thursday during the first regional meeting of the Africa Pathfinder Countries of the Global Alliance on Ending Violence Against Children.
The event was held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The president was represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Tinubu said his administration is taking concrete steps to protect the dignity and future of every Nigerian child.
“Our legal frameworks reflect our conviction. From the Child Rights Act to the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, Nigeria has laid down the statutory foundation for the protection of children.
“But legislation alone does not shield the vulnerable — it is the will behind those laws, and the systems that enforce them, that make the difference.
“That is why our national strategy also embraces prevention and early intervention.
“We are strengthening families and communities through programmes that promote positive parenting, challenge harmful social norms, and provide targeted support to vulnerable households. But we must be honest with ourselves. We cannot protect the child by merely reciting the anthems of their struggles or romanticising their vulnerability, Tinubu said.
He stated that the real hope lies in action — concrete, deliberate action.
“Our commitment must run deep, reaching into the very architecture of our education and health systems. This is the soul of our human capital development strategy,” he said.
Tinubu added that every Nigerian child should grow and learn in a safe environment.
“We aim to ensure that every Nigerian child has the opportunity to grow, learn, and thrive in a safe and nurturing environment. This is not simply a policy objective; it is a moral obligation.
“We are investing in safe schools and embedding socio-emotional learning into our national curriculum.
“We are rolling out the National Guidelines on Alternative Care to ensure that even children without parental care are raised in love, safety, and stability,” he said.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, on Friday announced the release of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME, results.
The board disclosed that it is withholding the results of 39,834 candidates over issues relating to examination irregularities.
Recall that over 1.9 million applicants participated in the just-concluded exercise.
JAMB also disclosed that 80 suspects across the country are currently under interrogation for examination fraud, with Anambra State leading the pack with 14 suspects.
JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, stated this on Friday while officially releasing the 2025 UTME.
He also disclosed that while 467 underage candidates met the prescribed minimum score, 50 were engaged in cheating scandal.
A press conference to this effect is ongoing.
Details coming…
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