This post has already been read 2111 times!

The District Head of Odugbeho in Agatu Local Government Area, Chief Tony Adejo, has been gruesomely murdered by suspected armed herders in a renewed wave of violence that has rocked Benue State. The fatal attack occurred on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Otobi, Otukpo LGA, where the chief had fled for safety following earlier unrest in his community.

Chief Adejo was killed alongside another farmer, identified as Mr. Jeremiah Danjuma, while working on his farmland. Their deaths were confirmed by Hon. Ojema Ojotu, the lawmaker representing Apa/Agatu Federal Constituency, during a live appearance on TVC News.

“The Chief had to flee from Odugbeho due to ongoing attacks. He got a piece of land in Otukpo to continue farming. Sadly, he and another man, Jeremiah from Ogbokpo, were killed right there on the farm,” Ojotu said.

Chairman of Agatu LGA, Marvis Ejeh, confirmed that the suspected herders stormed the area around 10 a.m. on Wednesday. He urged all Agatu indigenes currently farming in other parts of the state to exercise extreme caution and liaise with local security authorities before going to their farms.

This latest tragedy is part of a broader crisis plaguing the state. According to recent reports, more than 23 people have been killed in a series of coordinated attacks across Guma, Logo, Ukum, and Kwande local government areas in the past week alone. The death toll in the last 40 days has reportedly surged to over 150.

In Ukum LGA, eight farmers were ambushed and slaughtered while heading to their fields. In Kwande, fresh attacks left several villagers dead, with others battling for survival in local hospitals.

The violence is believed to be carried out by armed herders and militia elements, who have targeted rural farming communities in what many are now describing as a deliberate campaign of terror.

Despite the mounting death toll, local communities like Odugbeho have remained calm, resisting calls for reprisal attacks. Community leaders are instead calling for urgent intervention from both the Benue State Government and federal security agencies.

“We need more than condolences. We need security. These killings must stop,” said a resident of Otukpo who asked not to be named.

As the state mourns yet another community leader lost to violence, calls for action are growing louder. The people of Benue are pleading for an end to the bloodshed—and for the right to live and farm in peace.

ABUJA BUSINESS REPORTS NEWSPAPER & MAGAZINE