At least 11 security personnel were killed in an ambush in Nigeria’s north-central region, highlighting the ongoing insecurity tied to farmer-herder conflicts. The Middle Belt, particularly Benue and Plateau states, has faced years of deadly clashes over dwindling land resources alongside increasing attacks from armed groups commonly described as bandits.
According to Council Chairman Justine Shaku, the ambush occurred on Sunday in the Katsina-Ala local government area. Shaku confirmed that the assault was carried out by suspected armed herdsmen working with local gangs. The victims included ten police officers and one member of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards, a security agency funded by the state government.
“The attackers laid an ambush on the security taskforce on operation, and after exchange of fire, the attackers killed the security operatives,” Shaku told AFP. He added that one civil protection guard remains missing, while the attackers also torched two patrol vehicles.
What Do Police Reports Reveal About the Attack?
Initial reports from police on Sunday listed three dead and seven missing. When contacted later, a police spokeswoman did not confirm an updated figure, though authorities noted that six suspects had already been arrested in connection with the ambush.
Tensions between nomadic cattle herders and farming communities are a recurring source of violence across central Nigeria. Many herders belong to the Muslim Fulani ethnic group, while most farmers are Christian, creating a pattern of attacks that often takes on ethnic and religious dimensions.
Earlier this year, more than 100 people were killed in Plateau state in back-to-back massacres. State officials described those killings as part of a “genocide” allegedly “sponsored by terrorists.” However, critics argue that this narrative oversimplifies the crisis, pointing instead to disputes over land use and failures by authorities to maintain effective security in rural areas.
The latest ambush in Benue underscores how fragile security remains in the Middle Belt and how unresolved land disputes continue to fuel devastating violence.
By Risper Akinyi