Akpanta killings
| Akpanta killings | |
|---|---|
| Part of Herder–farmer conflicts in Nigeria | |
 The remains of the Methodist Church after the attacks on Akpanta in March 2025. | |
| Date | 1–3 March 2025 |
| Location | 7°43′17″N 7°57′37″E / 7.72139°N 7.96028°E |
| Caused by | Land and grazing disputes |
| Methods | Armed raid / massacre |
| Casualties | |
| Death | At least 38 |
| Injuries | Dozens |
The Akpanta killings (also called the Akpata massacre) refers to a violent armed attack on the rural community of Akpanta in Apa, Benue State, Nigeria. The assault, part of a series of attacks on Akpata (themselves part of a wider wave of violence in the Middle Belt), left numerous villagers dead, destroyed homes and churches, and forced much of the population to flee.
Background
[edit]Benue State has been a major center of Nigeria's long-running herder-farmer conflict. The conflicts are driven by disputes over farmland, water sources and grazing routes. They have also been compounded by population growth, desertification in the far north, and migration of armed pastoralists southward. A study published in 2025 found insecurity in Benue significantly reduced agricultural and livestock output, reflecting the displacement of farmers and the abandonment of arable land.[1] Akpanta, a farming settlement near the banks of river Ochekwu, experienced sporadic attacks beginning in early 2023.[citation needed]
Akpanta is a rural settlement situated about 14 kilometres southeast of Ugbokpo. It lies along the old Otukpo–Agatu route, close to the River Ochekwu. The terrain is primarily low-lying savannah interspersed with yam fields and cassava plantations. Before the 2023-2025 attacks, Akpanta's population was estimated at around 2,000 people, most belonging to the Idoma ethnic group, with minority Igbo-speaking traders and Tiv farmworkers.[2] [3] The predominant occupation of residents was subsistence agriculture and small-scale trading in yams, rice, and palm oil.
Timeline of attacks
[edit]| Date | Location | Description | Reported fatalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2023 | Akpanta, Apa LGA | Armed men suspected to be herders raided farms near the village, killing two farmers and burning yam barns.[4] | 2 |
| October 2023 | Ijaha–Akpanta road | Gunmen ambushed villagers returning from the market, killing four and injuring others. [5] | 4 |
| February 2024 | Akpanta & Edikwu | Series of coordinated night raids destroyed homes and displaced hundreds across Apa communities.[6] | 11 |
| 1–3 March 2025 | Akpanta, Apa LGA | Full-scale assault burned most of the village, destroyed churches, and displaced the entire population.[7] | 18+ |
| May 2025 | Ugbokpo–Olegogba axis | Armed raids continued in adjoining settlements. Human rights monitors recorded 89 deaths across 31 communities in three months.[8] | 89 |
Attack
[edit]Armed men identified by residents as "suspected herders" stormed Akpanta between 1 and 3 March 2025. The attackers arrived at dawn, shooting sporadically and setting houses, churches, and food stores ablaze. The Vanguard reported that "the entire Akpata and adjoining communities were razed", noting the burning of the community's Methodist, Anglican and Catholic churches.[9] Daily Trust and Independent Nigeria both described Akpanta as "completely deserted" following the assault.[10][11] Community sources[which?] reported that attackers burned nearly every house in the village, including three churches and the central market. Survivors took refuge in nearby Ugbokpo and Ijaha settlements, while many others fled into the bush.[citation needed]
Impact
[edit]Eyewitness photographs and humanitarian assessments show extensive structural damage in Akpanta.[citation needed] Satellite-based imagery reviewed by civil-society monitors in June 2025 indicated that more than 90 percent of visible rooftops had been destroyed or scorched. The local parish church and two primary schools were among the buildings burned. According to community leaders cited by Daily Post, "nothing remains of Akpanta; it has been turned into ashes".[12]
Local development associations estimated that more than 6,000 people were displaced from Akpanta and neighbouring villages and hamlets.[13]
The destruction of Akpanta deepened humanitarian needs in the region. Church leaders from the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo and the Christian Association of Nigeria jointly condemned the razing of worship centres in Akpanta, describing it as "an assault on human dignity and communal faith."[14]
Response
[edit]Benue State officials condemned the killings and requested reinforcement of security forces in Apa LGA.[15] Humanitarian organisations and church missions distributed emergency relief to displaced residents, including those sheltering at Ugbokpo. Security agencies later announced the arrest of several suspects linked to wider Benue and Plateau attacks in mid-2025.[16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Victor Ushahemba Ijirshar; Isaiah Iortyom Udaah; Bridget Ngodoo Mile; Joyce Seember Vershima; Adaudu, Abba (June 2025). "Insecurity and Agricultural Productivity in Benue State Nigeria". arXiv:2506.01525 [econ.GN].
- ^ Benue State Community Enumeration Data, 2024 (Report). National Population Commission of Nigeria. 2024.
- ^ "Population Statistics – Nigeria". Nigerian National Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
- ^ "Two farmers killed as suspected herders invade Apa". Vanguard. 12 March 2023.
- ^ "Herders kill 4 along Apa road in renewed Benue attacks". The Punch. 15 October 2023.
- ^ "Eleven killed in Benue's Apa as attacks persist". Daily Post Nigeria. 18 February 2024.
- ^ "Over 15 killed as armed herders attack Benue communities". Vanguard. 3 March 2025.
- ^ "Herdsmen kill 89 in 31 communities of Apa in 3 months – group". Independent Nigeria. 9 May 2025.
- ^ "Over 15 killed as armed herders attack Benue communities". Vanguard. 3 March 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "9 killed in attacks on Benue villages". Daily Trust. 4 March 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Gunmen kill nine in Benue". Independent Nigeria. 5 March 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Benue attack: They killed my husband like a cow – grieving widow cries out". Daily Post Nigeria. 13 June 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Herdsmen kill 89 in 31 communities of Apa in 3 months – group". Independent Nigeria. 9 May 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Churches, homes razed as herders invade Benue community". The Guardian Nigeria. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Benue: Six LGs under attack by killer herdsmen – Gov Alia cries out". Daily Post Nigeria. 23 April 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "IGP confirms arrest of 53 suspects over attacks in Benue, Plateau". BusinessDay. 28 June 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.