By Ekani Olikita and Mike Odeh James
(Makurdi, Nigeria) Armed Fulani ethnic militia carried out late-night attacks in central Nigeria’s Benue State, killing at least 10 people and abducting two others.
Several others were wounded in the assaults, which residents say unfolded without any immediate security response.
The back-to-back violence struck rural communities in Logo and Ushongo Counties (local government areas), underscoring what locals describe as a pattern of increasingly organized raids on unprotected Christian farming settlements.
Channel One Attack in Logo County
In the most devastating incident, more than 40 Fulani militia on motorcycles stormed Channel One, a border settlement in Logo County, around 11:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 26.
Survivors say the attackers advanced from multiple directions under cover of darkness, opening fire on sleeping residents and those fleeing their homes.
By the time the shooting stopped, seven people lay dead. At least seven others were critically injured.
“It was a coordinated assault. “The Fulani attackers came from different directions, shouting Allahu Akbar and shooting sporadically. There was nowhere to run”, Umishi Terungwa, a survivor of the attack told TruthNigeria
Witnesses described the attackers as heavily armed Fulani terrorists and operating in large numbers, moving with apparent familiarity across the Benue–Taraba border. Some residents said the attackers used motorcycles and river crossings to access the community — a tactic that has been reported in previous raids.
Local officials confirmed the scale of the assault but offered few details on how the attackers were able to strike undetected. Logo County falls under the purviews of Operation Whirl Stroke, a composite security force, composed of army, air force and naval assets, tasked with “tackling banditry and armed herders in Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba States,” according to the Nigerian army.
Clement Kav, chairman of Logo County (Local Government Area), acknowledged that more than 40 heavily armed Fulani Ethnic Militia were involved and said security forces were deployed only after the attack.
“Seven people were killed, seven others injured and are receiving medical treatments. Security Personnel have now been sent, and the situation is under control,” Kav told TruthNigeria.
For many residents, that response came too late.
Sati-Ikov Deadly Attack in Ushongo
Less than 24 hours earlier, another group of armed Fulani terrorists ambushed mourners in Sati-Ikov, a rural community in Ushongo County. The victims were returning from a burial when the attackers opened fire, killing three and abducting two of them
The attack took place along a remote route, highlighting the vulnerability of civilians even during communal gatherings.
“These attackers are becoming more daring. Even funerals are no longer safe. People are living in fear,” Shagba Sylvester told TruthNigeria.
Local leaders say the incidents are part of a broader pattern of repeated, targeted violence against Christian farming communities in Benue’s rural belt, attacks that often occur at night and in areas with limited or no security presence.
Former Ushongo chairman Joseph Asawa warned in a phone interview with TruthNigeria Correspondent that, the frequency of such raids is increasing.
“If this is not addressed urgently, entire communities could be wiped out or forced to flee,” he told TruthNigeria.
Credit: Gabo photos.
Simon Gabo, a state lawmaker representing Ushongo Constituency, confirmed the killings and said authorities are working with security agencies to investigate. But like many officials, he stopped short of explaining how large groups of armed Fulani terrorists continue to operate across local boundaries with little resistance.
Benue State sits at the heart of Nigeria’s Middle Belt, a region long plagued by conflict tied to land competition, migration routes, and weak rural security infrastructure. Farming communities have borne the brunt of the violence, with repeated reports of killings, kidnappings, and displacement.
Data from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa indicates that armed Fulani ethnic militia groups have been responsible for thousands of civilian deaths in recent years, a trend analysts say reflects both the scale of the crisis and the failure to contain it
Security experts point to a troubling evolution in the attacks: increased coordination, cross-border mobility and the systematic targeting of soft civilian Christian populations.
“What we are seeing is a pattern of organized rural terror.
“These are not isolated incidents. The attackers exploit weak security coverage, strike at night, and withdraw before any response. It raises serious questions about intelligence gaps and response capacity”, Francis Aduba, a retired Deputy Superintendent of Police and a Security Analyst told TruthNigeria.
Despite repeated assurances from authorities, residents say little has changed on the ground.
In Channel One and Sati-Ikov, the aftermath is the same: fresh graves, injured survivors and communities bracing for what many believe is the next inevitable attack.
Ekani Olikita and Mike Odeh James are Conflict Reporters for TruthNigeria