Amnesty International has strongly condemned the killing of no fewer than 17 individuals in an assault on the Mbalom village, located in the Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State. The human rights group asserts that Nigerian authorities have fallen short in their duty to safeguard residents from persistent violence.
According to a statement released on Monday by Amnesty International, assailants entered the village on Sunday, a day that was meant for Easter celebrations. The attackers reportedly killed residents, inflicted injuries on many others, and set fire to homes and businesses.
"Families are still searching for those missing since the attack," Amnesty International stated, highlighting that this incident is part of a larger trend of unchecked violence plaguing the state. The organization also noted that over 500,000 people have been displaced from their homes in Benue due to similar attacks, with many now residing in overcrowded camps that offer limited access to essential resources like water, food, and healthcare.
"The Nigerian authorities have failed the people of Benue State again and again," Amnesty International declared. "Frequent attacks by gunmen have deprived thousands of people of their rights to life, physical integrity, liberty, freedom of movement and access to livelihoods."
Conversely, the Benue State Police Command has reported a lower death toll, confirming that nine bodies were recovered following the incident in Mbatsada, a community within Mbalom.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, the command detailed that law enforcement officers were dispatched to the area subsequent to a distress call.
"A combined team of security personnel conducted a thorough search of the affected community, during which nine corpses were recovered and evacuated to the General Hospital, Aliade," the police statement read.
The police further attributed the attack to suspected armed herdsmen and indicated that an investigation is underway to fully ascertain the circumstances surrounding the event.
"Preliminary findings indicate that the incident followed heightened tensions within the locality," the command stated, adding that specialized units, including the Police Mobile Force, have been deployed to restore order and apprehend the perpetrators.
Despite official figures, some residents maintain that the scale of the attack was considerably larger than what has been officially reported.
This incident marks the latest in a series of violent events affecting Benue's rural areas, where local populations have frequently voiced concerns about delayed responses and insufficient protection from authorities.
Police confirmed that high-ranking officers, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations and the Area Commander in Gboko, are currently on the ground overseeing security operations.
The Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, has appealed to residents to maintain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing accurate information, assuring that those responsible for the attack will be brought to justice.
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