January 11, 2026 Reporter: Johnson
UKUM, Benue State — Suspected armed herdsmen have launched a series of brutal attacks on farming communities in Adogo, Ugbaam Council Ward of Ukum Local Government Area, destroying crops valued at millions of Naira and sending farmers fleeing their homes in fear for their lives, local leaders confirmed.
The assaults, which began unexpectedly in rural farms, have decimated cassava and other staple crops, devastating the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and disrupting planting and harvesting cycles in one of Benue’s key agricultural zones. The presence of armed herders with large cattle herds has exacerbated the situation, with residents reporting that livestock were used to trample and consume crops as part of the incursions.
Chief Aule Gba, a prominent community leader in the area, decried the severity of the attacks, saying many farmers “have fled and relocated for fear of being attacked and killed by the militia herdsmen.” The destruction has left entire families displaced, compounding food insecurity and economic hardship in an agrarian community already grappling with long-running insecurity.
Chief Gba also criticised the lack of an effective response by government and security agencies, stressing that the unchecked movement of suspected armed herders into the state has left communities vulnerable. “The illegal migration of these suspected armed herdsmen into certain parts of the state has not been adequately addressed,” he said, underscoring the urgent need for stronger security measures.
Local farmers are appealing to the Benue State Security Council and federal defence authorities for urgent intervention, including the deployment of more robust patrols and tactical assets capable of reaching deep forest areas with poor road networks and limited communication. Without prompt action, observers warn the violence could further displace rural populations and trigger broader food production challenges in the region.
The recent attacks form part of a longer pattern of herder-related violence in Benue State a flashpoint in Nigeria’s wider herder-farmer conflicts that has previously seen communities overwhelmed, crops destroyed and residents displaced across several local government areas.