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BLACK TUESDAY IN OTUKPO COMMUNITY AS SUSPECTED HERDSMEN LAUNCH BRUTAL ATTACK ON OTOBI-AKPA IN BENUE STATE

Suspected armed herdsmen have launched a brutal attack on Otobi-Akpa in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State. The attack occurred on Tuesday evening, around 5:30 p.m., with reports indicating that an unverified number of residents were killed and hundreds displaced. Hon. Angbo Kennedy, the lawmaker representing Otukpo-Akpa Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, confirmed the incident. A distressed resident, Edwin Emma, during a live broadcast on AIT, appealed for urgent government and security intervention, stating, “We are being attacked by herdsmen… My wife and children are fleeing as I speak.” This latest attack is not the first in the area, as Otobi, which hosts the Federal Ministry of Water Resources Multipurpose Dam, has faced multiple attacks this April. A security guard at the dam facility was reportedly killed days before this assault. According to reports, the guard’s killing was part of a troubling wave of violence that has gripped the Otukpo axis in recent weeks. Journalist Meddy Olotu described the scale of the attack as massive, alleging that over 100 armed assailants launched coordinated strikes across the community. As of the time of this report, no official statement has been released by the Benue State Police Command or other authorities, and casualty figures remain unconfirmed. This incident is the latest in a series of attacks in Benue State, which has suffered repeated assaults from suspected herdsmen over the years, leading to thousands of deaths and mass displacement of residents. In a similar incident, gunmen attacked three communities in Benue’s Otukpo LGA, including Okpomaju, Odudaje, and Asa 2, with residents fleeing into the forest for safety.