Fear has taken over many farming communities in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State following the arrival of armed herdsmen said to be escaping recent U.S. airstrikes in northern Nigeria.
Residents say the situation has forced many farmers to stop going to their farms because of frequent killings, kidnappings, rape and destruction of crops.
The Chairman of the Gwer West Traditional Council, His Royal Majesty Daniel Abomtse, raised the alarm, describing Gwer West as “the epicentre of attacks and killings in Benue State.”
Speaking on the phone, the monarch said that by December 31, 2025, about 701 people had been killed, while farms and properties worth billions of naira had been destroyed by the attackers, whom he called “Islamic extremist radicals.”
He explained that the problem worsened after the U.S. attack in Sokoto. “The US attack in Sokoto sent fierce, heavily armed men across the Nasarawa borders into Gwer West with their cattle, which are already grazing on people’s farms,” he said.
According to him, “Farmers have abandoned their fields for safety.”
The monarch said he also suffered losses, stating, “I personally lost 18 hectares of guinea corn and 10 hectares of cassava to cattle grazing under the watch of security personnel.”
He mentioned a case involving a woman from Tsenongu, Kwaghaondo Nyiyuhwe, who narrowly escaped an attack by herders.
“The matter was reported to the Chief of Staff Special Unit, Lt-Col Lawal, but nothing was done,” he said.
Expressing his disappointment with security agencies, Abomtse added, “I have lost confidence in the Army personnel here; all the killings, kidnappings, rape, and attacks happen under their noses.”
He appealed to the U.S. to extend its military operations to Benue State so the fleeing armed groups could be chased away, allowing farmers to return to their farms and prevent hunger in the area.