By Atoyebi Nike
Suspected bandits have killed several people in fresh attacks on Guma and Gwer West Local Government Areas of Benue State. Among the victims was Hon. James Akase, a former PDP ward chairman.
Among those reportedly killed is Hon. James Akase, the immediate past PDP Ward Chairman from Tse-Defam, Mba’akov Vengav, Avihijime Council Ward in Gwer West. Local sources confirmed that the attacks occurred on Monday, May 19, 2025, targeting several rural settlements.
Villages affected include Tse Ikpe Ago, located along the Yogbo-Gyungu Aze road in Mbayer/Yandev Council Ward, and Tse Kologa in Mbagune, Nyiev Council Ward. A resident who spoke with journalists in Makurdi on the condition of anonymity described the incidents as “coordinated assaults” on unarmed farming populations.
“In Gwer West, the Fulani militias ambushed and brutally murdered Hon. James Akase,” the source said, adding that Akase had returned to his community in search of food after being previously displaced by earlier violence.
Confirming the killing, Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Victor Ormin, told journalists that Akase was attacked while attempting to retrieve food from his farm.
“He went to get some food from his farm and was unfortunately killed. Another man was also kidnapped yesterday, but his family paid a ransom, and he was released later in the night,” Ormin stated.
Efforts to obtain further details from the Chairman of Guma LGA, Maurice Orwough, were unsuccessful, as repeated calls to his phone went unanswered. Similarly, the Benue State Police Public Relations Officer, Catherine Anene, did not respond to multiple calls for confirmation.
The renewed violence underscores the persistent insecurity in Benue State, where armed herders and bandits have continued to carry out deadly raids on farming communities, leading to mass displacement and loss of lives.
