What’s Behind the Deadly Wave of Killings in Central Nigeria’s Benue State?
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Security personnel patrol a rural area in Benue State, where dozens of communities have come under attack amid ongoing farmer-herder violence.
What’s Behind the Deadly Wave of Killings in Central Nigeria’s Benue State?
More than 200 people killed in just days as violent farmer-herder conflict escalates amid climate pressures and political inaction.
Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has ordered security agencies to halt the latest wave of deadly attacks in Benue State, where over 200 people are believed to have been killed in recent days.
Labeling the violence as “inhuman and anti-progress,” Tinubu addressed the nation as protests broke out in Makurdi, the state capital. Thousands of displaced residents have reportedly fled their homes as attacks on communities intensify.
A Crisis Years in the Making
Benue has long been an epicenter of violent clashes between nomadic herders and settled farmers, particularly in Nigeria’s volatile Middle Belt. But experts say the situation has significantly worsened.
Security analyst Kabir Adamu, head of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, told the BBC that between May 2023 and May 2025, a staggering 1,043 people were killed in Benue alone.
The conflict is driven by multiple interlocking issues:
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Land use tensions between herders and farmers.
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Armed self-defense groups on both sides.
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Climate change pushing herders southward due to desertification.
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Religious and ethnic divisions, with Fulani herders (mostly Muslim) and Benue farmers (mainly Christian).
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Government neglect, allowing tensions to fester.
Who Is Behind the Killings?
Although Fulani herders are frequently blamed for the violence, their leaders deny responsibility.
“Our people are not behind the Benue killings,” said Fulani spokesperson Baba Othman Ngelzarma.
“We know there are unresolved issues in Benue, but we have never allowed any of our people to attack or kill others.”
Authorities have refrained from naming a specific group. However, most attacks lead to retaliatory violence, creating a cycle of revenge with widespread civilian casualties.
Environmental Pressure Adding Fuel to the Fire
Kabir Adamu points to climate change as a key driver:
“Environmental degradation, desertification, and irregular rainfall patterns in northern Nigeria are pushing herders southward into states like Benue, where resources are already stretched thin.”
The rapid population growth and shrinking arable land in these regions have further intensified competition, leading to frequent flare-ups.
Has the Government Done Enough?
So far, attempts at intervention have had limited success:
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In 2018, a Federal Joint Task Force was created.
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A new Forest Guards unit was launched recently to tackle criminal activity in rural areas.
But critics say these efforts are too little, too late.
“The conflict has been ignored for too long,” said Sam Philip, a public affairs analyst in Makurdi.
“The government focuses more on Boko Haram in the northeast, secession threats in the southeast, and kidnappings in the northwest.”
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What Is the Way Forward?
Analysts suggest that resolving the conflict will require a two-pronged approach:
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Security Response: Deploy well-trained, intelligence-backed special forces in a sustained and adaptive manner.
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Economic Solutions: Create grazing routes and reserves to reduce contact between herders and farmers.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari proposed a national grazing plan, but it was widely rejected in southern states, who feared it would legitimize Fulani land claims.
Kabir Adamu emphasizes that any future solution must be equitable, sustainable, and locally accepted:
“We need policies that balance the needs of both pastoralists and farmers — not just more troops.”
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