Benue killings in Apa: Ochetoha K’Idoma Demands Govt Action

By; KATO P. LADAN, Kaduna

Suspected herdsmen struck again over the weekend in Edikwu Ankpali, a rural community in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, leaving several residents dead and others abducted from nearby Ijaha.

The attack, carried out along Edikwu Road near Ugbokpo, the local government headquarters, is the latest in a series of violent incursions across Idoma land.

Responding to the incident, Ochetoha K’Idoma, the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Idoma Nation, issued a strongly worded statement, condemning the assault as “a grave violation of the peace and security of our law-abiding people.”

The statement, signed by President General, Professor Yakubu Aboki Ochefu, and Secretary General, Chief Dr. Paul Edeh Esq, described the killings as part of a sustained pattern of violence that has become all too familiar in Benue’s southern corridor.

“Despite these urgent calls for intervention, the lack of decisive action by security agencies charged with the constitutional mandate to protect lives and properties has emboldened the perpetrators, leaving our communities increasingly vulnerable,” the Forum stated.

Ochetoha K’Idoma recalled that warnings had been issued in two separate communications to Governor Hyacinth Alia in October 2024 and March 2025, yet the security situation has deteriorated. The group noted that attacks such as the Edikwu episode reflect the same conditions that led to the infamous Agatu massacres of 2010 and 2016.

“Entire villages have been razed, families displaced, and livelihoods destroyed, yet the victims continue to face inexcusable neglect,” the statement added.

In the wake of the violence, the Idoma Area Traditional Council (IATC), led by the Och’Idoma, HRM Dr. John Odogbo, held an emergency meeting with local government chairmen, directing all herders to vacate farmlands in the area. The Forum aligned with the IATC’s resolution, calling for full enforcement of the Benue State Open Grazing Prohibition Law and reinforcement of local patrols.

“We implore the Federal Government and the Benue State Government to heed the repeated calls of our people, recognize the urgency of this situation, and take immediate, decisive action to protect the lives and property of the Idoma people,” the statement continued.

The Forum further demanded the establishment of IDP camps across affected local governments and the urgent deployment of humanitarian aid through SEMA and NEMA.

Though Ochetoha K’Idoma commended the swift deployment of security chiefs by Governor Alia for an on-the-spot assessment led by his Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Paul Biam, it maintained that visits must lead to verifiable outcomes.

“No stone should be left unturned until all perpetrators are apprehended and prosecuted. The time for decisive and enduring action is now,” the statement read.

Analysts say the renewed attacks could further strain rural stability across Benue’s southern axis unless law enforcement mechanisms are upgraded and enforced beyond rhetoric. The Forum warned that the situation no longer concerns the Idoma Nation alone.

“This is not merely a localized issue. It is a matter of national security, as the peace of one part of Nigeria threatens the stability of all.”

Reaffirming its civic posture, the group said it would continue to pursue peace through lawful means, community mobilisation, and policy advocacy.

“We will continue to amplify the voices of our people and demand accountability at every level of governance. Our right to life, dignity, and security is non-negotiable. The Idoma people will not be silenced. We demand protection. We demand justice. We demand peace.”

At press time, neither the police nor the state security services had issued an official statement on the attack, and casualty figures remained unconfirmed.