RismadarVoice Reporters
August 4, 2026
Suspected armed herdsmen have attacked Abaushwa community in Nzorov Council Ward of Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, killing four people and injuring several others.
The attack reportedly occurred around midnight on Monday, when residents were asleep. According to community sources, the assailants invaded the community and forced their way into homes, killing some victims in their sleep.
Three people were reportedly killed during the attack, while several others sustained injuries and were taken to the General Hospital in Gbajimba. One of the injured victims later died, bringing the death toll to four.
Residents also said several people remained missing after the attack, with search efforts underway.
Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, alongside other prominent indigenes, visited the community following the incident.
A former Executive Secretary of the Benue State Teaching Service Board, Dr Frank Kyungun, described the attack as unprovoked and barbaric, saying the attackers stormed the community in the middle of the night and launched a heavy assault on residents.
Kyungun appealed for calm and urged residents to allow security agencies to investigate the incident.
He expressed concern over the repeated attacks on communities in the area, noting that residents had continued to exercise restraint despite disputes over grazing activities and damage to farmlands.
The Chairman of Guma Local Government Area, Morris Orwough, also condemned the attack, describing it as heartbreaking and unacceptable.
Orwough commiserated with the families of the victims and prayed for the recovery of those injured. He said security personnel had been deployed to Abaushwa to restore peace, protect lives and property, and prevent further attacks.
He urged residents to remain calm, cooperate with security agencies and provide credible information that could assist efforts to apprehend those responsible.
Confirming the incident, the Benue State Police Command said four people were killed in the attack.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondona, said the victims were killed by suspected bandits and that investigations were ongoing.
He added that security operatives were intensifying efforts to identify and arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
