The planned burial of 13 persons killed in a recent attack in th Turan community, Jato-Aka area of the Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, was cancelled on Thursday as families were unable to collect the bodies from the mortuary.
Relatives and residents had gathered in the Mbachom community for the burial, but the mortician responsible for releasing the corpses could not be located.
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A relative of one of the victims, Bemgba Numve, said families discovered the mortuary staff was absent when they arrived at the mortuary.
“My brother was killed in the attack, and we planned to bury all 13 of them today. Everybody is here for the burial, and people also came from outside to witness the burial, but we could not retrieve the bodies from the mortuary,” Mr Numve said on Thursday.
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He said residents were informed that the mortician had been taken away, leaving no one available to release the bodies.
“It is unfortunate that some people do not want us to carry out the burial, but they are our brothers and sisters, and we have the right to bury them on our own terms.”
Mr Numve added that the community would announce a new burial date.
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“Whoever took the mortician away will not determine how we will bury our brothers and sisters, and we will still fix another date to do it,” he said.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer in Benue State, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as calls to her phone were not answered as of the time of filing this report.
Attack in Kwande
The victims were among residents killed when suspected herders attacked communities in the Turan district of Kwande Local Government Area,
communities in Yaav and Mbadura council wards, killing at least a dozen people and injuring several others.
A resident who requested anonymity described the attack as devastating and said many villagers fled their homes in panic.
“Many innocent lives have already been lost. Since the attack began this morning, the community has not received any form of security presence or intervention, and the situation is extremely dire and terrifying for our people,” the resident said.
“Men, women, children and the elderly are fleeing in different directions for safety. Families are scattered, and the entire community is in panic and distress.”
Locals identified some of those killed as Shagba Tyokase, Shagba Terease, Liambee Yohane, Tordue Dooshima, Tordue Doove, Liamkpur Aondosoo, Akule John, Adezamber Gyuse and Terundu Tyozuur, while the identity of another victim was yet to be confirmed.
Several injured residents were taken to hospitals for treatment, while community members launched searches in nearby bushes for missing persons.
Government response
Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings, describing the attack as “barbaric, senseless and unacceptable.”
“The killing in Kwande LG is senseless and unacceptable; every life matters. The loss of even one life is too many,” Mr Alia said in a statement issued by his Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication, Solomon Iorpev.
The governor said his administration would ensure that those responsible for the attack were brought to justice and directed security agencies to intensify operations in the area.
He noted that more than 400 security personnel had recently been deployed to Jato-Aka and surrounding communities but acknowledged that the renewed violence showed more action was needed.
The attack is part of a wider pattern of insecurity in Kwande and neighbouring areas of Benue State, where communities have repeatedly reported deadly raids by armed groups.
Growing security concerns
The escalating violence has drawn attention from federal lawmakers.
On Thursday, the Senate urged the federal government to establish a military base in Kwande Local Government Area to strengthen security and allow displaced residents to return to their communities.
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The motion was sponsored by the senator representing Benue North East, Emmanuel Udende, who told lawmakers that recent coordinated attacks had left more than 20 people dead and forced many families to flee their homes.
Similarly, the House of Representatives called for urgent military action to halt the killings in communities within the Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency.
Lawmakers warned that continued attacks, poor road access, and weak communication networks have hindered rapid security responses in communities near the Nigeria–Cameroon frontier.
Benue, often referred to as Nigeria’s “food basket,” has witnessed persistent violence in recent years, leading to the displacement of rural populations and the disruption of farming activities.
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