A wave of grief and outrage has swept through Uikpam community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State following the gruesome murder of a local farmer, Mr. Gabriel Vandefan, who was reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen militia on Thursday while attempting to harvest millet in his backyard.
According to community sources, Mr. Vandefan had ventured out despite the risks, driven by desperation to secure food for his family amidst worsening economic hardship.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers, believed to be armed Fulani herdsmen, struck without warning, killing the farmer in cold blood.
Residents described the killing as not only brutal but symbolic of the relentless insecurity that continues to plague farming communities in Benue. One of the eyewitnesses, Tivkaa Iorhemba, recounted the harrowing scene.
“They beheaded him and chopped off one of his hands, which they took away with them,” Tivkaa said, visibly shaken. “This tragedy is unspeakable. He dared to fight hunger with courage, and paid the ultimate price.”
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The killing has added to the growing sense of fear and helplessness that pervades rural Benue, a state long afflicted by violent clashes and deadly attacks linked to herdsmen militias. Local residents say they are under siege, unable to safely tend to their farms or provide food for their families.
A community elder, Mr. Jimin Jeorfre, expressed frustration over the repeated violence and lack of protection for his people.
“We are still waiting for God to intervene in our predicament,” he said. “We are being killed every day. We cannot go to our farms. We have been stripped of our livelihoods and can barely find food to eat. In a devastating incident today, my community member Gabriel Vandefan was murdered while fighting against hunger.”
The tragedy has once again raised pressing concerns about the safety of rural communities, the need for decisive government action, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting displaced farming populations in central Nigeria.
So far, local authorities have not issued an official statement on the killing.
However, community leaders are urging urgent intervention from the federal and state governments to curb the persistent insecurity and bring the perpetrators to justice.