A large rice farm in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State was set ablaze on Sunday afternoon, November 2, 2025, by suspected herdsmen, leaving the owner and residents devastated.
The farm, belonging to Mr. Ugbakayaa, was located at Tse Orbiam along the busy Naka–Makurdi road. Eyewitnesses reported that the fire consumed several hectares of cultivated land, destroying both standing crops and already harvested rice packed for threshing.
“The whole farm went up in flames within minutes. All the rice that was harvested and packed for threshing was destroyed,” said Bartholomew, an eyewitness, describing the incident as a huge loss for the Ugbakayaa family.
The family, who relied heavily on the farm for their livelihood, was left in shock and despair. “Everything we worked for this season is gone. We don’t know how to recover from this,” a family member lamented.
Residents who visited the scene condemned the attack, noting that it was part of a worrying trend of herdsmen-related violence in the state. “Farmers in Gwer West and surrounding communities have suffered repeated attacks. This is affecting food production and putting families at risk,” a community leader said.
Benue State has in recent years experienced increasing attacks on farmlands, with farmers often caught in conflicts between herders and local communities. The recurring violence has displaced families, destroyed livelihoods, and disrupted agricultural activities, which are a major source of income for many residents.
The community appealed to the federal and state governments, as well as security agencies, to take urgent action to protect farmers and prevent future attacks. “We need security here. Farmers are under threat every day, and lives and livelihoods are at stake,” a local farmer said.
As of the time of filing this report, security operatives had yet to issue an official statement on the incident, leaving residents anxious about the safety of remaining farmlands.
