Gunmen suspected of being herdsmen are alleged to have unleashed new assaults on Tuesday evening on farming communities in the Agatu and Apa Local Government areas of Benue State, resulting in multiple fatalities.
In Agatu LGA, a man named Sunday Dutse, a resident of Odejo and the younger sibling of a former local government chairman, were k!lled along the Odugbeho-Ogbaulu road.
Dutse had been displaced from his community due to a previous herdsmen attack and had sought refuge in Ogwule-Kaduna, also located in Agatu LGA.
Earlier that day, a different attack reportedly took place in EdikwG’Icho, a community within Apa LGA, where three young individuals were ambushed and k!lled.
It was reported that two of the victims were from EdikwG’Icho, while the third was from Ugbokpo.
The assaults occurred despite a recent visit from high-ranking military officials, including the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who had assured the implementation of enhanced security measures in the affected regions of the state.
In other news, tragedy struck in Gboko, Benue State, as a 67-year-old French national, Mr. Pietier Gilles, was discovered d3ad in his hotel room over the weekend.
The incident occurred at Hotel Jovina in Gboko town, where the tourist had checked in on June 6, 2025.
According to reports by Zagazola Makama, Mr. Gilles, believed to be on a long-distance bicycle tour across West Africa, had entered Nigeria from the Niger Republic on May 19.
Confirming the incident, police sources said the hotel manager, Emmanuel Terhide Laha, reported the case to the “A” Division Police Station at about 5:45 p.m. on Sunday, June 8.
Laha informed the authorities that the tourist had fallen ill on June 7 but refused to be taken to the hospital. As his condition worsened, the hotel staff called in a medical professional to assess his health.
“He was, however, discovered to have died,” a police source said.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO), upon receiving the report, led a patrol team to the hotel. Photographs were taken at the scene before the body was moved to the General Hospital in Gboko for preservation and autopsy.
Authorities say investigations are ongoing, and diplomatic procedures are being followed to ensure proper handling of the case.
Read also:
Killer Herdsmen Mow Down 87 Persons
Suspected Herdsmen Invade Several Farming Communities, Leave Multiple Fatalities
