Mass Burial Held for Benue Attack Victims as Bandits Impose Farm Levies

A mass burial was held on Saturday, August 8, 2026, for victims of a deadly attack in Benue State, as reports emerged of bandits imposing levies on farmers to access their fields. The ceremony in EfeyiUtikpi, Otukpo Local Government Area, laid to rest those killed in an assault on the farming community on July 28, 2026.

The attack, which occurred in the early hours of July 28 in the Ugboju District, was carried out by suspected armed herders. Residents reported that assailants stormed the community between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., opening fire and killing residents. The victims included women and children. While initial police reports cited eight deaths in a related July 12 attack in OtukpoNobi, the mass burial on Saturday was for victims of the later July 28 assault. Sources provided varying figures for the number buried, with most reports stating 15 victims, while two sources indicated 16. The burial took place less than three weeks after the OtukpoNobi attack.

The Commissioner of Police in Benue, Cletus Nwadiogbu, described the July 12 incident as a terrorist attack, noting the attackers used guerrilla tactics before fleeing into nearby forests. The repeated assaults have...