Follow Us on Google
Depriving farmers from harvesting their produce –AFAN
From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Gripping narratives emanating from Benue communities suggest that efforts to boost food security in the country might go to waste, except the federal and state governments rise up and tame the tide of insecurity in the state regarded as Nigeria’s food basket.
After herdsmen attacked Yelewata in June 2025, the federal government deployed troops to the state to boost security and forestal reccurrence. It was also so that farmers and displaced persons could return home and tend to their farms.
Their coming boosted security as incidents of attacks reduced to the barest minimum up till December last year, giving rise to peaceful yuletide celebrations.
However, with the recent bombing of terrorist hideouts in Sokoto and other places in the country, there seems to be an influx of herders back into the state, a situation, many observed, that has escalated violence in Benue communities, with farmers worst hit.
While some persons have been killed in the month of January 2026, including security personnel, the killer herdsmen are reportedly depriving farmers of accessing their farmlands, thereby preventing them from harvesting their crops.
By noon on January 10, 2026, orange orchards in Tse Uyoo village in Ukum Local Government Area should have been alive with harvest songs and the thuds of ripe orange fruits hitting the ground. Instead, what was meant to be a joyful and bountiful harvest turned sour while the farms became a scene of terror.
Our correspondent gathered that before Mr. Orbuter Agule and other members of the community who had gone to harvest oranges could settle down to work, they were brutally attacked by armed herdsmen grazing nearby.
Tse Uyoo village is located a few kilometres after Tse Kpeesi village, along Adogo Road, in Ugbaam Council Ward, in Ukum LGA of the state.
A community leader in the area, Mr. Joseph Anawah, reported that, on January 11, he got information that herdsmen chased farmers out of their orchard without warning and in the chaos, Mr. Orbuter Agule had his hand brutally cut.
Anawah said: “On January 10, 2026, at about 12:00 noon, some people who went to harvest oranges at Tse Uyoo village, situated some kilometres after Tse Kpeesi village, located along Adogo road, were attacked by armed Fulani herdsmen.
“Mr. Orbuter Abua Agule had his hand cut during the incident. The attack appears unprovoked, with the herdsmen suddenly appearing while grazing in the area and chasing people out of their orchards.”
What should have been a routine harvest turned into another painful reminder of growing crisis in Benue State, where farmers are increasingly unable to access their farmlands for fear of violence.
This incident confirms reports of increased Fulani herders presence in Benue, often bearing sophisticated weapons, with inadequate security measures to prevent such attacks. More security presence is required, especially in border communities, to protect citizens and prevent further incidents.
Across many rural communities, crops are left to rot, not because they failed to grow, but because their owners cannot safely return to harvest them.
Benue, often described as Nigeria’s “food basket,” depends heavily on smallholder farmers whose livelihoods are tied directly to the land. In recent years, however, farming has become a life-threatening activity as herdsmen have turned Benue farms to killing fields.
The incident at Tse Uyoo reflects a troubling pattern armed herdsmen occupying farmlands, grazing cattle on cultivated plots, and violently expelling farmers who attempt to harvest what they planted months earlier.
Community members say these attacks often happen in broad daylight, underscoring the attackers’ confidence.
“They appear suddenly, heavily armed, and people just run. If you stay back, you may not come out alive,” Mr. Mvendaga Samuel, a resident of the area, told our reporter.
He said seeing herdsmen hanging around and moving about with sophisticated weapons has further heightened fears among the farmers who now avoid entire farming seasons, knowing that tending to crops only increases the risk of deadly encounters.
Earlier, on January 8, 2026, residents from Ukum LGA also accused armed herdsmen of carrying out sustained attacks on their communities. Mr Joseph Anawah, who also gave details of the incident, said: “On January 8, 2026, reports indicate farmers were attacked and others were chased from their farm lands in Adogo village, Ugbaam Council Ward, Ukum LGA, Benue State.
“Armed Fulani herdsmen were seen destroying crops, including cassava, to feed their cattle. Many people who attempted to resume farming activities in the area have started relocating, due to fear, and others are avoiding returning to their ancestral villages. The situation suggests the state is vulnerable.”
On the same Thursday, two persons were reportedly killed at Tse-Igbauke, Mbatiev, Saghev, in Guma LGA by suspected armed herdsmen.
Locals reported that the attackers, who came in their numbers stormed the community in the afternoon while grazing their cattle on farmlands and when villagers attempted to stop them, the herdsmen allegedly opened fire, killing two people and forcing others to flee to for their dear life.
Confirming heightened activities of herdsmen in the state, a resident who identified himself simply as Mr Agbochenu, said: “The herdsmen have also found their way to Adoka District of Otukpo LGA..
“Since last week, they have been chasing farmers from their farms, destroying all that they have harvested. Help should come to my people by chasing these murderers away immediately.”
The killer herdsmen have also taken their trade to town where on Tuesday morning at about 1:30 am, they attacked Otobi Akpa community, killing five persons. The recent incidents have turned Benue to what it used to be, a killing field.
The National Vice President of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Mr Aondongu Saaku, has lamented the plight of farmers in Benue state. He told Daily Sun that herdsmen are preventing their people from harvesting their crops
According to him, “the herders are on rampage now because of the bombing in Sokoto and other places. They have run down to Benue.”
Saaku, who is the immediate past AFAN chairman in the state, said many farmers around Ukum, Guma LGA and other places have been chased from their farming communities.
He said: “If you go to Ukum area, the place has been flooded completely, you find them with their cattle everywhere eating what people are harvesting; harvesting and feeding their cattle where possible.”
Saaku expressed fears that the current situation would not only cost lives but would also affect food security.
“The federal government is working with the UN agencies to chase them out in many places. We are hoping that by the begining of the rainy season, security would have been restored fully and our people would return to their farms.”
Beyond the immediate human cost, the long-term implications are severe. A farmer in Logo, Mr. James Gbande, remarked: “When farmers cannot harvest, food supply drops. When food supply drops, prices rise. When prices rise, hunger spreads. In Benue, if nothing is done to secure our land and farmers, hunger looms, especially if mature crops are allowed to rot in the farms.
“In communities like Tse Uyoo, Tche Ebi and other places in Benue, oranges, yams, cassava and grains are not just sources of income, they are staples for survival. Each abandoned farm represents a household pushed closer to poverty and food insecurity.
“What happened to Mr. Agule is a reflection and symbolic of a wider wound inflicted on Benue’s agricultural populace. His cut hand is a reminder that the struggle is no longer just about land ownership but about the right to live and work without fear.”
While residents and local leaders continue to raise concerns about the inadequate security, particularly in border communities where herdsmen reportedly move freely across local and state boundaries, repeated attacks, scarce patrols and slow response times are equally reported.
The incident in Ukum LGA, Guma, Otukpo and other places reinforces calls for increased security presence, intelligence gathering, and proactive measures to prevent armed groups from occupying farmlands.
Anawah called on the government and security agencies to, specifically, check the issue of illegal migration of suspected terrorists into the state.
He also urged the state security council to reassess strategies, collaborating with the Federal Ministry of Defence for high-caliber security support, including air tactical components, to address terrorist hideouts in deep forest areas, with bad road network to prevent further expected terrorist activities.
For Benue farmers, the question is no longer when to harvest, but whether they will survive the attempt. As orchards and fields become danger zones, the state’s reputation as Nigeria’s food basket hangs in the balance.
Until decisive action is taken, many farmers will continue to watch their crops ripen from a distance, unable to reap what they sowed.
