Armed bandits, believed to be herders, have attacked Yanriwa Market in the Kwande local government area of Benue State, resulting in the deaths of five traders and injuries to seven others. A resident, Lawrence Akerigba, reported that the heavily armed gunmen invaded the market around 3 PM while traders were conducting business.
Akerigba stated that the gunmen fired sporadically at anyone in sight, leading to the fatalities. He expressed frustration over the federal government’s failure to fulfill its promise to deploy additional security forces to the area following a previous attack on Christmas Day 2024, which left over 20 farmers dead.
He lamented, “Up till now, nothing of that nature has been done. Government has abandoned us to our fate.” The attack occurred in Liev 1 at Usambe in Ikyurav, where residents have had to find alternative routes due to blocked roads.
The community established a market in Ikyurav to support farmers, but this was disrupted by the recent violence. Akerigba reported that five traders were killed, seven were injured and taken to the hospital, and several others remain missing.
Most schools, churches, and markets in the area have been closed due to the ongoing insecurity. Akerigba urged the government to deploy more security to allow children and farmers to return to school and work, noting that all schools in the affected council wards have been shut down.
