Midnight Massacre: Suspected Herdsmen Kill and Injure Dozens in Makurdi’s North Bank

Several residents were slain and many more wounded after suspected herdsmen launched a horrific raid around 3:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 12, 2025, targeting Mtsewnem, Akondutyough village in Makurdi’s North Bank area. Homes were invaded while families slept, leaving the community devastated.

Human rights advocate Ukan Kurugh decried the violence as “deeply disturbing,” sharing chilling footage and photos of the aftermath. He stressed that these attacks are now happening with impunity, ignoring warnings and the presence of both state and federal security forces.

This atrocity echoes the spree of earlier strikes in late May when herdsmen killed three farmers in Agan’s Tse Orjime community, prompting angry youths to bring the victims’ corpses to lawmaker Alfred Berger’s residence in protest

Police and forensic teams have now recovered multiple bodies and are investigating. Internal security sources say reinforcements have been deployed to trace the attackers’ escape routes into forested areas

Benue State’s agricultural heart is reeling—farmers are increasingly too afraid to tend to their lands. A recent academic study found that such insecurity slashes crop and livestock productivity by over 20%

State prosecution authorities face mounting pressure from communities and civil society to respond decisively—locals are demanding justice, not only for this bloodbath but to end the cycle of recurring violence across Makurdi’s outskirts.

This latest carnage—so close to the capital—should serve as a wake-up call. Will President, state leadership, and security forces finally take effective action before another midnight raid?