A devastating attack on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, along the Otobi-Akpa road in Otukpo County, Benue State, has claimed the lives of two prominent Idoma community leaders—Chief Anthony Adejo and Jeremiah Danjuma—both gunned down in a cassava field by suspected Fulani militants.
“We arrived at 8:00 a.m. to clear weeds,” recounted Ochoche, an eyewitness. “He was with his wife and a young man—Jeremiah Danjuma. At about 10:25 a.m., gunshots erupted like thunder. Bullets flew everywhere. The Chief was hit multiple times in the chest.”
Ochoche said that though Chief Adejo initially collapsed, he struggled to his feet in an attempt to flee, only for the attackers to shoot him again at close range. “It was savage. They executed him. I saw them chase Jeremiah like he was an animal. They killed him too. No mercy. Just pure hatred.”
The gruesome scene reflects a wider crisis in Benue South, where Fulani militias have continued attacks despite eviction notices issued by local authorities. The killings bring painful memories for many, particularly for Chief Adejo, a devout Catholic and father of five, who previously survived the Odugbeho massacre of June 7, 2021, where 40 Christians were slaughtered. His hope of returning home ended in the very violence he once fled.
“It’s an abomination for a chief to be butchered by outsiders,” said Odeh Edor, a native of Odugbeho. “He escaped once, but this time, the fire found him.”
Surge in Killings of Idoma Leaders
Edor, who also serves as an elder at ECWA Church in Otukpo-Icho, told TruthNigeria that at least ten prominent Idoma Christians have been killed by Fulani militias within a span of 12 days. Victims include:
- Chief Anthony Adejo – District Head of Odugbeho, Agatu County
- Jeremiah Danjuma – Youth leader from Apa County
- Oche Ochohepo James – Community activist
- Pastor Philip Onyejefu Oigocho – Killed near his church
- Emmanuel Odumu – 34-year-old farmer from Iga Okpaya
- Emmanuel Adoma – Living Faith Church member, father of three, killed on his farm
- Adanu John – Resident of Asaba community, Apa County
- Oloche Stephen – From Obinda, Apa
- Innocent Onuminya – From Opaha, Apa
- Inalegwu John – From Odugbo community, Apa
“More bodies are still being recovered from the forests,” Edor added. “Since they were told to leave, the killings have only intensified.”
Eviction Notice Sparks Retaliation
The latest wave of violence reportedly began shortly after local officials issued formal eviction notices to Fulani militias in Benue South. The directive came from Melvin Ejeh James (Chairman, Agatu County), Ogwola Ochega (Chairman, Apa County), and the National President of the Ochetoha K’Idoma Youth Wing.
“Our people are being hunted like animals,” said Monday Ocheme, a Sunday School teacher at Methodist Church, Ogwule-Kaduna. “We’re tired of burying our own. That’s why we gave the order.”
Civil Society Groups Raise Genocide Alarm
In response to the escalating violence, a coalition of 22 civil society organizations has declared the killings part of a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing. At a press conference in Kaduna, the Civic Coalition Against Mass Atrocities in the Middle Belt accused the Nigerian government of enabling the atrocities through inaction.
“This is not random violence,” said Barrister Gloria Mabaeia Ballason, spokesperson for the coalition. “It is a deliberate strategy to seize land, erase indigenous communities, and manipulate electoral demographics ahead of the 2027 elections.”
The coalition estimates that over 20,000 square kilometers of farmland have been forcefully occupied, leading to massive displacement and worsening food insecurity.
Ballason identified three core drivers of the crisis:
- Political motives tied to the 2027 general elections
- The upcoming national census, which may exclude displaced populations
- The creation of the Federal Ministry of Livestock, widely seen as legitimizing land grabs by herder militias
The coalition also highlighted emerging violence in Niger and Kwara States by armed factions like Lakurawa and Mahmuda, calling for urgent national intervention.
A Call for Action
Among its 12-point recommendations, the coalition urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to:
- Coordinate security operations specifically for the Middle Belt
- Deploy drone surveillance in high-risk areas
- Reform firearm legislation to empower local community defense
- Create a Special Crisis Accountability Bureau to document and prosecute atrocities
“This is no longer a local crisis,” Ballason warned. “It is a war against Nigeria’s sovereignty. If unchecked, it will destabilize not just the region—but the entire nation.”
The coalition’s statement was backed by organizations such as the House of Justice, Gideon and Funmi Para-Mallam Foundation, Resilience Aid Initiative, and Christian Solidarity Worldwide.
