“Not Herder-Farmer Crisis”: ADC Chieftain Reveals Real Cause of Benue Attacks, Killings
- ADC chieftain Kelly Agaba said the ongoing violence in Apa, Agatu, and Otukpo is driven by land grabbing and mineral resource control
- Agaba claimed a portion of land called Adepati Island, rich in minerals, was sold to Fulani interests in 2016 with government knowledge
- The Benue-indigene politician alleged that a village called Amla-Icho has been seized by militia and turned into a fortress camp, crippling the local agro-economy
Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
FCT, Abuja - A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described the escalating violence across Benue South as a deliberate campaign to seize land and mineral resources, rejecting the widely held framing of the conflict as a herder-farmer dispute.
Kelly Agaba, the ADC figure who hails from the region, said the current wave of attacks on Apa, Agatu, and Otukpo Local Government Areas follows a historical pattern of organised incursions stretching back centuries.
Source: Twitter
He pointed to earlier confrontations in 1943 at Akwu village in Agatu and again in 1992 at Okokolo, both of which were, according to him, repelled by local communities.
He stated this during an exclusive chat with Legit.ng over the weekend.
Mineral wealth at the heart of Benue killings
Agaba drew attention to a 2016 transaction he said revealed the economic motive behind the attacks. A tract of land known as Adepati Island, which he described as evergreen and rich in mineral resources, was allegedly sold to Fulani interests with the knowledge of the then state governor and a local government council chairman.
He argued that the current attacks are a continuation of that process of economic displacement.
"The recent attacks on Agatu, Apa, and Otukpo Local Government Areas are tied directly to economic control and land grabbing. They are not just killing people. They are clearing people off the land."
Agaba also contested the identity of the attackers, asserting that they are not Fulani herders but hired mercenaries introduced into the region around 2014.
According to him, the militia has since seized the village of Amla-Icho, converting it into an operational base that has paralysed farming activity across Otukpo and its neighbouring communities.
Benue, FG accused of inaction
The ADC chieftain was sharply critical of both state and federal authorities, saying their response had amounted to nothing beyond press statements.
He alleged that the militia had embedded informants within local communities who provide intelligence on targets, making the attacks more precise and harder to anticipate.
Speaking on Benue State's Anti-Open Grazing Law, he said the legislation exists only on paper, suggesting the current governor and State Assembly have effectively rendered it dormant.
Agaba also cited the assassination of the Benue State head of Miyetti Allah, known as Ardo, as the trigger for the current surge in violence.
The ADC chieftain questioned whether the government could conduct an impartial investigation given what he described as its tolerance of the groups involved.
"Benue South deserves a senator and a government that will not issue press releases while villages are being occupied. We need leadership that acts."
Source: Original
Gunmen kill youth leader in Benue attack.
Recall that gunmen stormed an Ondo community in Ugboju district of Otukpo LGA around 5 am on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, and killed a youth leader known as Sunday Ogoh.
The attack came less than 48 hours after gunmen killed 18 people in nearby Otukpo-Nobi community, also in Otukpo LGA.
Otukpo LGA chairman Maxwell Ogiri confirmed security operatives repelled the attack and have launched a manhunt for the gunmen.
Suspected herdsmen kill 16 in Benue attacks
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that suspected armed herdsmen stormed Nobi community in Otukpo LGA, Benue State, killing at least 16 residents in an early morning attack.
Angry youths and women took to the streets of Otukpo, blocking the Enugu–Otukpo and Makurdi–Otukpo roads to protest the killings.
Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the attack as a barbaric assault and directed all security agencies to intensify surveillance across affected communities.
Source: Legit.ng
