AMN
In Nigeria’s Benue State, at least seventy four people were killed in two separate attacks by gunmen this week. According to local official and police, violence between pastoralists and farmers is common. The Governor of Benue state’s security advisor, Paul Hemba, stated that 46 bodies were found following the attack on Wednesday. While Benue state police spokesperson Catherine Anene said twenty-eight bodies were recovered at a camp for internally displaced people in Mgban local government area between Friday evening and Saturday morning.
Violence has increased in recent years as population growth leads to an expansion of the area dedicated to farming, leaving less land available for open grazing by nomads’ cattle herds. Although the exact cause of the incident was not immediately known, witnesses claimed that gunmen arrived and opened fire, killing numerous individuals. Residents claimed that Gunmen kidnapped at least 80 people in Zamfara state on Saturday. Zamfara state is a hotspot for kidnappings for ransom by armed gangs who target isolated areas. President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, condemned the recent bout of killings in Benue State in which several people were killed in Umogidi community and directed security forces to increase surveillance in affected areas.