No fewer than 18 persons have been killed in coordinated attacks by suspected gunmen on farming communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attacks, which occurred between Friday and the early hours of Sunday, targeted Akpachi village in Ugboju community and Otukpo-Nobi community, leaving several others injured and many residents displaced.

According to a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the violence began on Friday when armed men invaded farmlands in Akpachi village, killing two farmers. A third victim reportedly escaped and alerted members of the community.

Search teams later recovered the bodies on Saturday, and the victims were buried shortly after.

However, in a renewed assault in the early hours of Sunday at about 4:00 a.m., the attackers reportedly stormed Otukpo-Nobi community, opening fire on residents. At least 16 people were killed on the spot, while several others sustained gunshot injuries.

The casualty figure is feared to be higher as local volunteers and security personnel continue search operations in nearby bushes for missing persons.

The attacks have plunged communities across Otukpo into mourning, forcing many residents to flee their homes amid fears of further violence.

Sources indicated that the incident occurred barely two weeks after the killing of the Benue State Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Ardo Risku Mohammed, and his associate, Yakubu Isah, who were ambushed at Okutu community while returning from a peace meeting in Idekpa, Ohimini Local Government Area.

Authorities are reportedly investigating whether the latest attacks are reprisals linked to the earlier killings.

The fresh violence sparked protests across Otukpo on Sunday, as hundreds of youths took to the streets carrying the bodies of some victims to the palace of the Och’Idoma during a church service, demanding urgent government intervention.

Protesters accused the government and security agencies of failing to protect farming communities from recurring attacks. Major roads were barricaded, causing significant traffic disruptions and forcing businesses to shut down temporarily.

One of the protesters, Ebi Adoyi, lamented the devastating impact of the attacks on families and warned that the death toll could rise as more bodies may still be discovered in surrounding forests.

Confirming the incidents, the Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Area, Maxwell Ogiri, said preliminary findings suggest the attacks may be linked to reprisals following the earlier killing of the MACBAN chairman.

He explained that security personnel and local vigilantes had initially believed the attackers fled after the first incident, only for them to return and launch a more deadly assault.

“The bandits came and killed two farmers on Friday. One escaped and alerted the community. We recovered the bodies on Saturday and buried them,” he said.

“After searching the surrounding bushes, we believed they had left the area, but around 4 a.m. on Sunday, we received distress calls that they had invaded Otukpo-Nobi, killing several people and injuring many others.”

Security agencies are said to be monitoring the situation to prevent further escalation.