Bandits defy security alert, kill five in Benue Community

At least five persons have been killed in a fresh attack by suspected bandits on Otobi community in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, deepening fears over the worsening security situation in the area.

Among those killed is Igbabe Ochi, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency in the 2019 general election.

The attack reportedly occurred around 1:30am on Tuesday, barely two days after a kidnapping attempt in the community was foiled by local vigilantes, forcing residents to heighten security alert across Otobi.

Local sources said suspected herdsmen stormed the community shortly after volunteer guards and youth patrol teams withdrew from overnight surveillance duties.

According to the source, the attackers invaded the area through the railway corridor linking Otobi and Ijami, opening fire on residents and killing five people on the spot. Food items and other valuables were also reportedly looted during the raid.

President of the Otobi Community Development Association, John Anyebe, confirmed the incident, describing it as another devastating blow to the community.

He said the attackers shot one resident near the water board before moving towards the transformer junction, where Honourable Igbabe Ochi and four others were gathered, and opened fire on them.

Anyebe lamented that Otobi has increasingly become a target of repeated attacks, recalling that 13 residents were killed on April 15, 2025, while three others lost their lives in a separate incident at the Omebe axis of the community barely weeks later.

The latest attack has heightened anxiety among residents, many of whom now fear further violence.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command is yet to officially react to the incident. Efforts to reach the police spokesperson, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not returned as of press time.

Also reacting, the lawmaker representing Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency, Kennedy Angbo, condemned the renewed killings and called for urgent security intervention.

He disclosed that on Sunday evening, gunmen attacked passengers aboard a Benue Links bus at the Burnt Bricks area of Otukpo, leaving three people injured.

Angbo urged security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering and launch decisive operations to flush out armed groups terrorising communities in the area, warning that continued inaction could worsen the humanitarian situation in southern Benue.

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