10 Killed in Otukpe as Herdsmen Strike at Dawn

Victims of suspected Fulani herdsmen reprisal attack in Otukpe, Benue State where at least 10 residents were killed at dawn

Otukpe community in Benue State woke up to bloodshed on Sunday morning after an attack blamed on Fulani herdsmen left at least 10 residents dead.

Local sources told Obgist News the armed men invaded the village around 5 a.m. when most families were still indoors. They shot sporadically and moved from compound to compound.

Residents said the attackers came on motorcycles and spoke Fulfulde. Several houses were set ablaze as people ran into the bushes for safety.

Community leaders believe the killings were a reprisal. They recalled that a local leader of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) was killed in the same axis a few weeks ago.

"We knew they would come back. This is payback for what happened to their leader," a youth leader in Otukpe said. He asked not to be named for security reasons.

Women and elderly persons are among the victims recovered so far. At least seven others sustained gunshot injuries and are being treated at a clinic in a neighbouring town.

Security operatives visited the scene hours later. A police source in Makurdi confirmed deployment but said the command is still collating casualty figures.

"We have sent more patrol teams to Otukpe to restore calm," the source told Obgist. An official statement is expected later today.

Otukpe is a farming settlement that has suffered repeated attacks in the past three years. Benue remains one of the worst-hit states in Nigeria's fulani crisis.

Hundreds of residents have now fled the community. Many are taking shelter in churches and primary schools in nearby villages.

Community elders are calling on both the Benue State Government and federal security agencies to reinforce the area and prevent a repeat attack tonight.