Armed herders, Boko Haram kill soldiers, others in Benue, Borno
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By Kingsley Omonobi, Nkiruka Nnorom, Peter Duru & Ndahi Marama
ABUJA — At least three persons were killed yesterday by gunmen suspected to be armed herdsmen at Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, even as Boko Haram insurgents attacked a military formation in Borno, killing two soldiers.
This came as chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang, yesterday, alleged that foreign armed groups, working with local collaborators, were behind recent killings in Bokkos LGA of Plateau State.
The Yelewata attack, which occurred after a similar incident claimed over 200 lives in the same community some weeks ago, came weeks after President Bola Tinubu visited Benue State and set up a committee to resolve the spate of killings in the state.
It was gathered from a government official in the area, who spoke on condition of anonymity, that the victims were attacked on their farms.
He said: “The victims had gone to the farm today (yesterday) when the armed herders attacked them. They killed three people, and three other persons luckily escaped with injuries, though some others also escaped without injuries.
“It was the attack that angered our people, mostly women who took over the Makurdi-Lafia Road to protest killings that the security agencies cannot stop.
“We are worried that Yelewata will be attacked again after all the promises by the government to ensure that the community is safe to enable the over 3,000 displaced persons to return home. Unfortunately, with this incident, the displaced persons who are currently taking refuge in Makurdi will be reluctant to come back home.”
When contacted, Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Security and Internal Affairs, Joseph Har, who confirmed the development, claimed that the attack happened outside Yelewata.
Har said: “It’s true there was an attack today (yesterday), and it happened in a community close to Yelewata. Three people were killed and three others sustained injuries, but the road that was blocked has been opened.”
When contacted, the Chairman of Guma LGA, Maurice Orwough, also confirmed the incident and the protest at Yelewata and appealed to all persons of goodwill to work for peace.
Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent, DSP, Udeme Edet, said she had no details of the incident.
Meanwhile, the attack sparked angry protests by women of the community who blocked the Makurdi-Lafia road at Yelewata in protest over the killings.
The women who sang as they occupied the highways, were heard calling on government to stop armed herdsmen from killing them and occupying their community.
B-Haram attacks military formation in Borno; 2 soldiers killed
In Kirawa community of Borno State, gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram, attacked a military formation, killing two soldiers, according to a source who pleaded anonymity.
Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Timta, and Police Public Relations Officer, Borno State Command, ASP Kenneth Daso, confirmed the invasion of Kirawa, a border community with Cameroon, last Saturday night.
According to sources and fleeing residents, the insurgents, operating in two groups, entered the town through Valle village and a filling station at about 9:30 pm, shooting indiscriminately.
Residents alleged that the Commanding Officer (name withheld) was absent from his duty post during the attack.
However, another source said one soldier was killed, while several insurgents also lost their lives to troops who eventually overwhelmed the insurgents, leading to the destruction of their base and looting of arms and ammunition.
The attackers were also said to have abducted a female student (names withheld), while many residents fled across the border to a neighbouring community in Cameroon.
Speaking to Vanguard in a telephone interview yesterday, Emir Timta said: “Yes, I received a distress call from the District Head of Kirawa that armed terrorists invaded the town and caused havoc last Saturday.
‘’It is unfortunate and shocking to hear that the commanding officer was not on ground at the time. As it stands, many of my people have fled to Cameroon for safety.”
Police spokesman ASP Daso, while also confirming the incident, said: “We have received the report on the Boko Haram attack in Kirawa community of Gwoza Local Government Area, but we are yet to ascertain the number of casualties.”
Report of attack on troops in Kirawa fake, says Theatre Commander
But reacting to the report last night, the Theatre Commander, North-East Task Force ‘Operation Hadin Kai’, OPHK, Major General Abdulsalam Abubakar, said the report is fake.
He said the attack took place in Kirawa community of Cameroun where Camerounian soldiers were involved, and not Nigerian troops of OPHK as insinuated.
In a short text message to Vanguard, General Abubakar said: “ It’s the Cameroonian Base in Kirawa that was attacked oooh; not Nigerian troops.”
He also shared videos and pictures of the attack which showed that the operational vehicles destroyed signified that of Camerounian troops.
The Theatre Commander therefore urged media practitioners to always verify information on any attack from military authorities before going to press in order not to pass wrong information to the public.’’
Foreign armed groups fuelling Plateau killings — Senator PLang
In a similar development, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, Senator Diket Plang, yesterday, alleged that foreign armed groups, working with local collaborators, are behind recent killings in Bokkos LGA of Plateau State.
The lawmaker, in a statement, described the incidents as “heinous” and a threat to the peace-loving people of the state.
Plang, who represents Plateau Central, said the attacks had led to losses of lives and destruction of farmlands and homes in the Mushere chiefdom and other parts of the council area, forcing thousands to flee.
He said: “It is clear that the perpetrators of this heinous crime with dark objectives are trying to chase the people out of their ancestral homes for possible occupation, which has happened in parts of the local government and other parts of the state.
“These elements have been on the prowl since April of this year, starting in Bokkos and spreading to other parts of the Plateau Central senatorial district.
“Unfortunately, despite my interactions with other groups and individuals with necessary government institutions, the attacks have not abated.”
Plang lauded efforts of security agencies but urged them to expand their operations and take coordinated action to prevent the attackers from establishing a foothold in any community within the senatorial zone.
He also called for stronger collaboration among community leaders, vigilante groups and residents, alongside active security support, to address the threats.
The senator recommended the immediate construction of road networks in affected areas to improve troop access and help farmers in Mushere.
He also advocated border patrols and establishment of permanent military outposts in strategic locations to enhance safety and enable displaced residents return home.
The lawmaker said he will use all legislative and diplomatic channels available to ensure safety of his constituents and to support security efforts to restore peace to Plateau central.
He said: “I, therefore, sympathise with the people of Mushere chiefdom, Bokkos leadership and government of Plateau State in the face of the current circumstances.
“I call on the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Red Cross and all related organisations to address the mounting humanitarian issues caused by these security challenges.”
15 Zamfara villages attacked, 144 kidnapped in one week — Report
Similarly, the security situation in Zamfara State has taken another dimension, with fresh data revealing that 15 villages were attacked between August 4 and 10, 2025.
According to a situation report released by the Zamfara Circle Community Initiative, the attacks led to the kidnapping of 144 people, the killing of 24 others, and injuries to 16 residents across several local government areas.
The breakdown showed that the affected communities include Sabe, Tungar Yamma, Sauru, Lambasu, Dogon Madacci, Dankalgo, and Kwanar Kalgo in the Bakura Local Government Area.
In Tsafe Local Government Area, the attacks targeted Chediya, Kucheri, Yankuzo, and Katangar Gabas Bilbils.
Mafara Local Government recorded incidents in Tabkin Rama, Matsafa, and Ruwan Gizo, while Rafin Jema in Gummi and the communities of Adabka and Masu in Bukkuyum were also affected.
The Zamfara Circle Community Initiative noted that the persistent wave of attacks underscored the urgent need for improved security measures to protect rural communities from armed groups operating in the state.
Scores of terrorists killed in airstrikes in Zamfara
However, the Nigerian Air Force, NAF, confirmed yesterday that its aircraft under Operation Fasan Yamma, recorded a major victory against bandits in Zamfara State with the neutralisation of several terrorists in a coordinated air and ground assault on Makakkari Forest.
Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, who disclosed this, said: “Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance, ISR, had confirmed movements of over 400 bandits, planning to invade a farming community.
“The operation involved precision airstrikes and ground assaults, resulting in the deaths of several notorious kingpins and scores of their foot soldiers. The synergy between air and land components made the operation exceptional.”
US seeks coordinated response against Boko Haram, ISIS, other terror groups
Meanwhile, the US government has called on West African nations and their neighbouring Sahelian states to set aside their differences and work together to defeat the different terrorist groups, including Boko Haram, ISIS-Sahel, ISIS-West Africa, among others, wreaking havoc in the region.
US Ambassador to the United Nations, Dorothy Shea, made the remarks at the UN Security Council briefing on Peace Consolidation in West Africa, saying terrorists do not respect borders.
She condemned the recurring terrorists attacks within the region, and called for accountability for attacks perpetrated by the al-Qa’ida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, JNIM, ISIS-Sahel, ISIS-West Africa, Boko Haram, and all other terrorist groups.
Shea reiterated the US commitment to continue to work with regional partners to counter terrorism threats, while also addressing the broader implications of the crisis in Sudan on peace and security in the Sahel region.
The envoy said: “First, terrorism continues to impact the lives of millions across the African continent, including those in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and the Lake Chad Basin. For far too long, citizens of West African nations have borne the brunt of the harms of terrorism.
“The United States condemns in the strongest terms recent terrorist attacks against civilians. We call for accountability for attacks perpetrated by the al-Qa’ida-affiliated Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin, JNIM, ISIS-Sahel, ISIS-West Africa, Boko Haram, and all other terrorist groups.
“Second, we urge Sahelian states and their coastal West African neighbours to set aside differences and seek a coordinated response to terrorism, one that respects the rule of law and human rights, including military cooperation and intelligence sharing. Terrorists don’t respect borders.
“We further encourage the role of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel, UNOWAS, in facilitating dialogue between the Alliance of Sahel States, AES, and ECOWAS on vital economic and political relations, in addition to regional security cooperation, consistent with its mandate.
“The United States in turn, will continue to work with regional partners to counter these threats. We, as the international community, have a vested interest in countering terrorism and the increasing danger that violent extremism poses to the global community.
“Finally, the crisis unfolding in Sudan continues to have far-reaching impacts on peace and security in the Sahel. In addition to humanitarian and economic disruptions, increasingly porous Sudanese borders and the proliferation of small arms have the potential to further destabilise Sahelian states. We call on the belligerents in Sudan to immediately end their violence.”
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