Tension has escalated in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State following fresh attacks that left a Fulani herder dead and more than 20 cows slaughtered across multiple communities.
Zagazola Makama gathered that the attacks, which occurred between December 4 and 5, affected the Ondo, Ogobia, Ugboju, and Otukpo Nobi areas, all of which have been grappling with periodic communal clashes.
Concern has further intensified after reports emerged that a key suspect was allegedly mishandled by a security agency, fueling outrage and fears of reprisal attacks.
The crisis worsened on Friday, December 5, when armed men from the Ondo community in Ogobia reportedly ambushed a Fulani herder, Hassan Sule, widely known as Alhaji Foder.
According to credible local sources, the victim was riding a motorcycle with one of his labourers to check on his cattle when the attackers opened fire.
The labourer escaped with injuries, but Foder was killed instantly.
The killing triggered panic among Fulani families in the area, prompting them to alert troops of the Nigerian Army stationed at the Ogobia military post.
Soldiers immediately mobilised and accompanied the herders to recover the body.
However, eyewitnesses said the attackers struck again. As the joint team advanced, gunmen allegedly launched a second ambush, believing only Fulani herders were approaching.
“The soldiers returned fire instantly and overpowered them,” a source familiar with the operation said.
He said, “One of the attackers was arrested alive and disarmed.”
The arrest was expected to provide a breakthrough in identifying the masterminds behind the attacks, until events took a troubling turn.
The arrested suspect was handed over to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ogoli/Ogboju for interrogation.
But according to multiple accounts, the DPO allegedly released the suspect less than an hour after receiving him.
Fulani leaders who confronted the DPO over the release said he dismissed their concerns and defended his actions.
According to them, the officer told community representatives that the military had “no right” to arrest and hand over suspects to him, insisting that he “knew how to do his work.”
The decision, described by community leaders as “reckless” and “provocative,” has further inflamed tensions in the already volatile environment.