Nigeria’s central Benue State has once again erupted in deadly violence, prompting President Bola Tinubu to order security agencies to end the wave of killings that has claimed more than 200 lives in just a few days. The crisis, which has led to thousands fleeing their homes, is the latest chapter in a long-running conflict between herders and farmers in the country’s Middle Belt. Tinubu condemned the killings as “inhuman and anti-progress” after mass protests broke out in Makurdi, the state capital.
Data from Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited reveals that between May 2023 and May 2025, over 1,000 people have been killed in Benue alone. The root of the conflict lies in competition over land and water between nomadic Fulani herders and settled farming communities. As herders move southward in search of grazing areas driven by desertification and irregular rainfall in northern Nigeria, their cattle often destroy crops and contaminate water sources, triggering deadly confrontations.
While farmers often accuse Fulani herders of being responsible for the violence, Fulani leaders have denied involvement. One leader, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, said, “Our people are not behind the Benue killings,” suggesting unresolved tensions in the region but denying direct culpability.
The conflict is further inflamed by religious differences Fulani herders are mostly Muslim, while the Benue farming communities are largely Christian. Additionally, weak governance, poor security presence, and a lack of effective economic policies have allowed the violence to persist. Despite previous efforts like the 2018 federal joint task force and the recently launched Forest Guards initiative, real solutions have remained elusive.
Security analyst Kabir Adamu explains that climate change, resource scarcity, and rapid population growth continue to push the conflict toward escalation. He believes resolution will require both military and economic strategies. This includes deploying specialized security forces and creating designated grazing lands to reduce friction between communities. However, similar proposals by former President Muhammadu Buhari were rejected by southern states, who feared losing land to herders.
Public affairs analyst Sam Philip emphasized that the Benue conflict has long been sidelined by federal authorities in favor of other crises, such as Boko Haram in the northeast and separatist agitations in the southeast. As the humanitarian toll rises, experts and citizens alike are calling for urgent, holistic intervention to prevent further bloodshed in Benue and across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
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