Suspected herdsmen behead farmer in fresh attack on Benue community

Tension has gripped the Uikpam community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, following a fresh attack allegedly carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen in the early hours of Thursday, July 24, 2025.

According to reports, the assailants stormed the farming village at dawn, launching a surprise attack on unsuspecting residents. One farmer, identified as Gabriel Vandefan, was brutally killed and beheaded while harvesting millet on his farmland.

The gruesome incident was confirmed by Jimin Geoffrey, a former media aide to ex-Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, who described the attack as yet another horrifying example of the insecurity rural communities in the state continue to face.

He said the bandits “also beheaded the victim and also cut off one of his hands and took it away”.

Benue State has been under intense attacks by armed herders, who have been causing chaos across the country.

Recently, Yelwata community in Guma LGA was attacked, with over 200 persons killed by the militias in just one night.