Panic gripped residents of Uikpam town in Mbabai Council Ward, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, on Tuesday night as heavy gunfire erupted during an attack by suspected armed herdsmen.
The incident was confirmed by Jimin Geoffrey, a former media aide to ex-Governor Samuel Ortom, who raised the alarm in a late-night Facebook post. According to Geoffrey, the attackers stormed Uikpam described as the only surviving town in the Mbabai area and unleashed gunfire on residents.
“The calculated onslaught continues,” he wrote. “As you read this, shooting is ongoing. May God help our people.”
Uikpam and surrounding communities in Guma LGA have come under repeated attacks in recent years, with many residents displaced and villages deserted. Just two weeks ago, two people were killed along the Uikpam–Umenger road in a similar incident.
Benue State has been one of the hardest-hit areas in Nigeria’s long-running conflict between farming communities and suspected armed herdsmen. These violent clashes have led to thousands of deaths and widespread displacement, particularly in rural areas like Guma.
As of the time of this report, there was no official statement from security agencies, and the number of casualties in the latest attack is yet to be confirmed.
Residents are calling on both the state and federal governments to urgently intervene and provide lasting security in the area.
