Gunmen killed at least 18 people in Nigeria’s Benue state during a weekend attack, according to residents and local officials, prompting angry protests and road blockades in the affected area.
The assault took place early on Sunday in the Otukpo-Nobi community of Otukpo Local Government Area. Residents said armed men opened fire between around 3:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.
Local residents suspected the attackers were Fulani herders, although no group has claimed responsibility and the allegation has not been independently verified.
Benue police spokesperson Udeme Edet confirmed a lower toll, saying eight people were killed and five others wounded.
Local government chairman Maxwell Ogiri said the violence may have been linked to the killing of the head of a local herders’ association two weeks earlier.
Benue state has repeatedly witnessed deadly clashes between farming communities and cattle herders, as well as attacks by armed groups. The violence is often fuelled by disputes over land, grazing routes and access to natural resources.
Following the attack, women and young people from the community marched through the town of Otukpo and blocked roads to protest the continuing insecurity.