More than 1,000 people flee as gunmen attack Nigeria's Benue community

More than 1,000 residents have fled their homes after suspected armed bandits attacked Ankpechi community in Nigeria's north-central Benue State, local authorities said on Thursday, in the latest wave of violence to hit the country's food-producing belt.

The attackers stormed Ankpechi community in Oglewu District of Ohimini Local Government Area on Thursday morning, forcing residents to abandon their homes and seek safety in neighbouring communities, according to local officials.

The community lies along the Otukpo–Ogobia Road and is close to Ondo-Ugboju in Otukpo Local Government Area, where armed assailants recently set houses ablaze.

Ohimini Local Government Chairman Gabriel Adole confirmed the attack.

Taking refuge in nearby communities

"The attackers invaded the community on Thursday morning," Adole told journalists in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

He said the villagers had been displaced by the assault and were taking refuge in nearby communities, while security personnel had been deployed to the area to prevent further attacks.

The latest attack comes days after deadly assaults in neighbouring Otukpo Local Government Area, highlighting growing insecurity across parts of Benue State, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted rural communities, killing residents, destroying homes, and forcing thousands to flee.

Benue, one of Nigeria's major agricultural states, has witnessed persistent violence linked to armed groups and long-running disputes over land and grazing resources. The recurring attacks have displaced thousands of people, disrupted farming activities and deepened humanitarian concerns across the state.