‘No Election While We Are Dying’ — Benue South Youths Block Roads

‘No Election While We Are Dying’ — Benue South Youths Block Roads

Angry youths in Benue South on Saturday staged a protest during the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, demanding urgent government intervention over persistent killings and insecurity across Idoma-speaking communities in the state.

The protesters barricaded a major road in Apa Local Government Area, disrupting traffic flow and political activities as the APC conducted its primary elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Carrying a coffin and placards with inscriptions such as “No Election While We Are Dying” and “Stop The Killings In Benue”, the demonstrators chanted slogans rejecting political activities while residents continue to face repeated attacks.

Witnesses said the protest was led largely by youths who accused political leaders of neglecting worsening insecurity in rural communities, insisting that survival should be prioritised over elections.

The demonstrators said communities in Apa and surrounding areas of Benue South have faced repeated attacks allegedly carried out by suspected armed herders and other armed groups, forcing many residents to flee their homes.

The protest comes amid a fresh wave of violent incidents across Benue State, where several communities have reportedly suffered deadly attacks in recent days.

In one of the latest incidents, at least seven people were reportedly killed in Channel One community, a border settlement in Ukemberagya/Tswarev Council Ward of Logo Local Government Area.

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Local sources said the attackers stormed the community at night, shooting sporadically and forcing residents to flee into nearby bushes for safety.

A community member identified as Amos said the attack occurred along the Arufu–Wukari axis near the Taraba border, describing it as sudden and coordinated.

Community leaders later confirmed the incident, naming some of the victims and reporting that several others sustained injuries and were receiving treatment in nearby health facilities.

Officials said those in critical condition were transferred to hospitals in Ugba and Anyiin, while others remain under observation.

A local leader in the area, Joseph Anawah, confirmed that multiple fatalities were recorded and called for urgent security intervention.

He also alleged that attackers often operate from deserted settlements believed to serve as hideouts for armed groups, urging authorities to dismantle such bases.

Anawah further called for a coordinated interstate security operation involving Benue, Nasarawa, and Taraba States to curb cross-border attacks affecting rural communities.

The Chairman of Logo Local Government Area, Clement Kav, also confirmed the killings, stating that seven people were killed and four others injured during the attack.

Security agencies were reportedly informed, although police authorities said they were still awaiting a formal report at the time of filing the information.

The latest violence adds to a growing pattern of insecurity across Benue State in recent weeks.

In Agatu Local Government Area, gunmen reportedly killed a traditional ruler, his wife, his son, and two other residents in a separate attack.

In another incident in Ushongo Local Government Area, armed men attacked mourners returning from a burial, killing three people and abducting two others.

These repeated attacks have triggered renewed calls from residents, traditional rulers, and civil society groups for intensified security operations to protect vulnerable rural communities.

Many affected residents have been displaced and are currently taking refuge in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps across the state.

Against this backdrop, Saturday’s protesters insisted that political activities, including party primaries, should not continue while communities are under siege.

They called on both the Benue State Government and the Federal Government to deploy stronger security measures, including military clearance operations in affected areas.

As of Saturday evening, authorities were yet to issue a comprehensive response to the protest or the latest killings reported in parts of Benue South and Benue North.

‘No Election While We Are Dying’ — Benue South Youths Block Roads