February 6, 2026 l By Dalena Reporters
MAKURDI, Nigeria — Renewed violence attributed to suspected armed herdsmen has struck parts of Benue State, leaving markets destroyed, villages emptied, and residents fleeing for safety across sections of Kwande and Apa Local Government Areas (LGAs), local sources reported on Thursday.
Eyewitnesses said that gunmen believed to be part of suspected herdsmen or armed bandit groups descended on Anwase Market in Mbaikyor Council Ward, Kwande LGA without warning, opened fire and set shops, produce and goods ablaze, forcing traders, farmers and buyers to abandon their wares and flee the scene.
The incident came just **two days after a deadly assault on the neighbouring Abande community also in Mbaikyor Ward where reports indicate that suspected attackers killed more than a dozen people in a market attack earlier this week, creating fear and displacement among local residents.
Residents described scenes of sudden violence and loss: “They came suddenly and started shooting and burning the market. People abandoned their goods and ran for their lives,” one community member told local reporters. The burning of foodstuffs, farm produce and merchandise was reported to have destroyed items worth millions of naira, devastating livelihoods dependent on market trade.
Anwase Market is located close to Jato-Aka, the headquarters of Kwande LGA, heightening anxiety among farmers and traders about the spread of insecurity across the region. Some traders and inhabitants fled toward neighbouring communities and bush paths to escape the violence.
Reports also indicate coordinated attacks on villages in Apa LGA, including Edikwu and Akpete, where residents say houses and farms were threatened, prompting further displacement. Communities such as Imana, Olegogba, Ugbobi and Edikwu have been deserted as families worry about renewed raids and potential violence.
A local source told reporters that the attackers were “camping in some of the deserted villages and using them as launch points to attack neighbouring communities,” underscoring the depth of insecurity and the feeling that local security presence remains insufficient.
Requests for comment from the Benue State Police Command were not immediately successful at the time of reporting. The command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached for confirmation of casualty figures or ongoing response activities.
The attacks come amid longstanding concerns about herder-farmer conflicts and armed incursions in Benue State’s rural areas, where disputes over land use, grazing routes and security gaps have, in previous years, contributed to cycles of violence, displacement and economic hardship for farming communities.
As of this report, precise casualty numbers and the full extent of property damage are still being assessed, and humanitarian groups are calling on state and federal security agencies to boost protection for vulnerable towns and coordinate relief for displaced residents.