Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
The Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area in Benue State, Melvin Ejeh, has taken decisive action in response to a spate of violent attacks that have left residents dead, injured and displaced across the council area. In a statement issued on 9 January 2026, Ejeh announced the immediate revocation of a 2017 grazing agreement that had previously allowed herders access to Adapati Island, declaring the pact null and void and ordering that all armed herders vacate Agatu land with immediate effect.
The decision follows what the chairman described as a grave security and humanitarian crisis triggered by renewed violent incursions into Agatu communities. According to local authorities, armed herders who reportedly moved into the area after military operations in neighbouring regions unleashed terror on residents, resulting in multiple deaths, widespread injuries, alleged cases of sexual violence, the destruction of homes and farms, and the displacement of hundreds of people. Ejeh lamented the situation, stating that innocent and defenceless civilians were being targeted without provocation and that such bloodshed could not be tolerated.
In his address, the council chairman criticised the 2017 grazing arrangement — struck under a previous administration — on the grounds that it was never executed in good faith and had yielded negative consequences for the local population. He asserted that Agatu is an agrarian society whose farmlands and livelihoods must be protected and maintained for the benefit of indigenous residents. The revocation of the grazing deal and the directive for herders to leave the area were justified as necessary measures to safeguard food security and community wellbeing.
Ejeh also called on the Federal Government and security agencies to bolster their presence in Agatu, arguing that the current security deployment was insufficient to contain the escalating attacks. He praised the efforts of Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia in seeking peace but emphasised the need for more robust action to flush out criminal elements responsible for ongoing violence.
The renewed tension in Agatu forms part of a broader pattern of insecurity affecting communities across Benue State, where herder‑farmer conflicts and armed raids have precipitated prolonged humanitarian challenges, displacement and loss of life. Rights observers have documented repeated attacks in the region, contributing to widespread fear and disruption of rural livelihoods over the years.
While the immediate directive focuses on the withdrawal of armed herders and the annulment of the grazing agreement, local leaders and civil society advocates continue to call for coordinated peacebuilding and security reinforcement, reflecting the deep-seated and complex nature of land, resource and community tensions in parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
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