Terrorists Strike Otobi Akpa in Benue Again, Kill Four; Scores Reported Missing

At least four people have been killed and scores remain missing after suspected Fulani Islamic extremists attacked Otobi Akpa in Otukpo local government, Benue State, in the early hours of Tuesday.

One of the victims, Pastor Mrs. Menu Ojiji, reportedly died of shock from the sporadic gunfire during the assault.

Eyewitnesses said the attack occurred around 1:00 a.m. when heavily armed assailants invaded the community, firing randomly and leaving four young men dead.

Mr. James Ode, who spoke to Vanguard, described the terror: “When we heard the gunshots, we knew the extremists were at it again. People started running that night with women and children into unknown destinations. Many are still in the bush. This is the third time such an unprovoked attack by Fulani terrorists has happened in Otobi Akpa. The first one was last year, 2025, when 14 people were murdered in cold blood in their fatherland unprovoked.”

Mr. Egaji Ejembi, a youth leader, condemned the attack as a deliberate attempt to force Fulani herders to resume open grazing, which is banned in the state.

“Orobi Akpa community is 100 percent Christian. We are not at war with any neighboring communities. So what else could propel any reasonable person to invade a peaceful community like Otobi and kill people, if not Islamic extremists aiming to wipe out the community to occupy our land?” Ejembi said, appealing to the international community for intervention and criticizing the Nigerian government’s handling of the ongoing violence.

The bodies of the deceased have been deposited at the Federal University of Medical Science, Otukpo, as the search for missing residents continues.

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