About 5,138 people were killed by armed herders in Benue state since 2015 according to the Benue State Emergency and Management Agency (BSEMA)
The Executive Secretary of BSEMA, Emmanuel Shior stated this on Monday when he addressed journalists on the humanitarian situation in the state. Giving the breakdown, Shior said that 18 of the 23 local government areas of the state were attacked by suspected armed herders within the period.
According to him, in 2015, 1,177 deaths were recorded; in 2016, 809 deaths; in 2017, 43 deaths were recorded; in 2018, 440 people were recorded killed.
He further said that the state recorded 174 deaths in 2019, and 88 in 2020 while 2,131 deaths were recorded in 2021, 172 deaths were recorded in 2022, and from January 2023 till date, 104 deaths have been recorded.
“So, in all, the total deaths since 2015 till date is 5,138,” Shior said. The BSEMA boss regretted that there had been renewed attacks in some local government areas of the state shortly after the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“There was more influx of herders since the presidential election because Ortom lost his senatorial election,” he said.
