Three persons have been killed, and two others injured in separate attacks allegedly carried out by suspected armed herders in Elulu and Agadagba communities of Ohimini Local Government Area of Benue.
The attacks, which occurred between Friday and Saturday night, have heightened concerns over renewed violence in the area.
A resident of Agadagba, who identified himself simply as Ameh, told journalists in a telephone interview on Sunday that suspected armed herders first attacked Elulu community on Friday before invading Agadagba the following night.
According to him, the attackers attempted to rustle cattle in Agadagba but met resistance from local youths.
‘The Fulani herdsmen attacked our community yesterday night and attempted to rustle cows. Some youths repelled them, but the attackers, who were heavily armed, opened fire on them and two of the youths died. We later learnt that the same group had attacked Elulu village the previous day and killed one person,’ Ameh said.
The Chairman of Ohimini Local Government Area, Gabriel Adole, confirmed the incidents in a telephone interview on Sunday.
He said the attackers first struck Elulu community, where they killed one resident, injured another and carted away the victim’s Bajaj motorcycle.
‘They first attacked Elulu village and killed somebody, attacked another person and collected his Bajaj motorcycle,’ Adole said.
‘They also went to Agadagba village that same day to rustle cows, but the people repelled them. They shot one person in the leg after failing to take the cows. On Saturday, they returned and killed two persons in Agadagba.’
Adole said three people lost their lives in the attacks, while the two injured victims-one shot during the attempted cattle rustling and another attacked in Elulu-were receiving treatment in hospital.
The council chairman disclosed that security personnel, including local security operatives and police officers, had been deployed to the affected communities to prevent further attacks.
He added that normalcy was gradually returning following the increased security presence.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached. Calls to her telephone line were not answered.
Ohimini Local Government Area has witnessed repeated attacks in recent weeks, with some residents linking the renewed violence to the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Risku Mohammed, on June 24, 2026.