Benue: Protest Rocks Prominent APC State, Police React

• Traffic on the busy Makurdi–Lafia Expressway was brought to a standstill as angry villagers in Benue state blocked the road
• The residents took the action in protest against the killing of their loved ones by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen
• The protesters carried placards and tree branches, chanting solidarity songs and vowing not to vacate the road until justice is served

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering metro.

Makurdi, Benue state – Residents along the Makurdi–Lafia Road in Benue state, on Saturday, September 20, blocked the highway in protest.

Benue is led by Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Punch said the residents, mostly youths, staged the demonstration over the killing of farmers on their way to the farm in the outskirts of Makurdi bordering Guma local government area (LGA) of Benue State.

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As reported by Daily Trust, the fatal attacks, which occurred separately on Friday, September 19, and early Saturday, September 20, led the protesters to block the road with the corpses of three of the victims.

Per Channels Television, photos and amateur videos circulating on social media confirmed the protest along the Makurdi–Lafia Road, with individuals warning road users to avoid the area. Some of those affected by the blockade also shared live videos from the scene.

Legit.ng reports that in the northcentral region, attacks are common as local herders, mostly Muslim ethnic Fulani, and farmers, many of whom are Christian, clash over the limited access to land and water.

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.

Those conflicts have often spiralled into broader criminality and tit-for-tat revenge attacks between informal armed groups established to protect rival communities.

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Police speak amid Benue protest

Udeme Edet, the spokesperson of the Benue state police command, confirmed the killing of two farmers who were attacked while on their way to the farm in a village in Guma LGA.

Edet, however, said she was not aware of any road blockage with corpses and promised to call the divisional police officer (DPO) in the area for further information.

Source: Legit.ng