
Suspected herdsmen terrorists on Friday launched a violent attack on Tyoshin community of the Gwer-West Local Government Area of Benue State, leaving at least five people dead.
The attack which took place along Naka-Makurdi road, marks another dark chapter in a long history of violence that has plagued the state.
In a statement issued by Prof. Patrick Ukase, who doubles as the National President Forum of Tyoshin Academics and Prof. John Ajai, a Publicity Secretary of the Forum, said Tyoshin people have endured a relentless cycle of violence, with a staggering total of over 511 lives lost to attacks by armed herders.
According to the people, between 2011 to 2017, 192 fatalities were recorded, followed by a dramatic increase from 2018 to 2023, where 302 lives were lost. This year (2024) alone, 17 individuals were murdered.
“Once again, the people of Tyoshin were on Friday visited with another blood bath. Today marks another day of mourning, another black day etched in the hearts of our community.
“The relentless wave of violence continues as suspected armed herders have, once more, unleashed terror on our people – this time along the Naka Makurdi road. The lives of five innocent souls, desperately taken to a clinic for treatment, have tragically slipped away, their cries unheard.
“Others lie in agony, fighting for their lives, yet the true number of those attacked remains unknown.
“Since 2011, the toll of this violence has been staggering. Between 2011 and 2017, 192 sons and daughters of Tyoshin were gruesomely murdered by herders. From 2018 to 2023, the numbers escalated, with 302 more lives lost in the area.
“This year alone, 17 individuals have been mercilessly hacked down by these herders. These figures do not include those who have disappeared and have not been seen since 2011. In all, we have lost over 511 lives to this relentless onslaught. Tyoshin land is bleeding, its cries drowned in the deafening silence of indifference”.
The statement added that the recent assault is part of a broader trend of violence that has gripped the area, with nine council wards in the Gwer-West Local Government Area already falling victim to these brutal attacks.
“Just days before the latest incident, three more lives were taken in Camp-Nagi, Mbachohon, underscoring the urgent need for intervention and protection for the vulnerable communities of Tyoshin.
The forum expressed their growing frustration with the inaction of both the Federal Government and the Benue State Government, as pleas for assistance remain unanswered.
They said the military presence, intended to provide safety and security, appears ineffective in curbing the ongoing violence, leaving residents feeling abandoned and forsaken.