Benue State has witnessed an upsurge of cult-related violence, which has claimed lives in recent times.

At least seven people were killed on Sunday night in Akpehe, a suburb of Makurdi metropolis in Benue State, during a suspected cult clash.

Residents said the violence, which broke out around 8pm at a drinking joint near OxNet Water Factory, close to Division ?E? Police Station, caused panic as people fled the scene while vehicles passing along Akpehe-Wurukum Road reportedly sped off in fear.

?It was terrifying. Gunshots erupted suddenly near a bar close to OxNet Water. When it ended, seven bodies lay on the ground,? a resident identified as Terdoo told our correspondent, adding that four others were seriously wounded and hospitalised.

Another resident, who spoke anonymously, suggested the attack was a revenge killing linked to the murder of a youth mobiliser days earlier.

The resident alleged that rivalry over political youth leadership positions between cult groups might have triggered the violence.

Other witnesses recounted chaotic scenes, including a man fleeing with blood streaming from his back.

?It looked like a cult war playing out right before our eyes,? one witness said.

Police spokesperson, CSP Catherine Anene, confirmed the attack but put the death toll at four.

She said investigations were ongoing and warned that the new Commissioner of Police, CP Emenari Ifeanyi, would not tolerate criminal activities under his leadership.

?The suspected cult attack at Akpehe is confirmed and investigation has commenced. Four persons were confirmed dead while others are currently receiving treatment at the hospital.

?The new Commissioner of Police in the state, CP. Emenari Ifeanyi, has warned hoodlums greeting him with crime to desist from such acts as he will not tolerate crime under his watch,? Anene stated.

Government?s position

Gbenda Terver, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Youth Organisation and Illegal Levies, condemned the killings, saying they stemmed from disputes over illegal revenue collection among multiple task forces and not politics.

He disclosed plans to rehabilitate idle youths through agriculture, stressing that the administration was determined to cut off funding sources that enabled cult activities.

?We already took action on the crisis yesterday. The crisis reportedly started over issues related to the collection of money. It involves two groups: the Local Government Task Force on Illegal Motor Parks and the Task Force on BENSASSA (Sanitation Agency). Both groups clashed over who had the right to collect revenue from a particular shop in the area. I have consistently warned against the unchecked proliferation of task forces.

?We are currently investigating the root cause to get firsthand information about what transpired, specifically, who started the conflict and what led to the killings. We are planning to launch an operation around the Wurukum axis down to Akpehe to secure the area.

?The best way to curb this menace is to take these young men off the streets and engage them positively. They have long seen it as their business to extort money from shop owners, especially Igbo traders, and we are determined to stop it. It hasn?t been easy for them to adjust. This practice flourished until Governor Hyacinth Alia came into office and I was appointed to tackle illegal levies. We are systematically blocking their sources of revenue, which they used to buy bullets and guns. We will continue to disengage more of them.

?To address the underlying issues, I am working on a long-term solution to remove these youths from the streets and re-engage them through agriculture. I have launched a programme to encourage them to return to farming, which is the most viable solution given that many of them are uneducated and lack vocational skills. Agriculture remains the oil of Benue State.

?I am also collaborating closely with the Police Anti-Cultism Unit to tackle this menace decisively,? Terver explained.

Timeline of recent cult killings in Makurdi

A total of 20 people have been killed in cult-related violence in the past six months in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.

This has happened despite the state government?s effort through the Special Adviser on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har, to nib cultism in the bud with the deployment of both non-kinetic and kinetic approaches otherwise known as the carrot and stick approaches.

Har, who previously led state security outfits ? Livestock Guards, Vigilante Guards of Nigeria, Community Volunteer Guards and Hunters/Forest Security Service ? on campaigns against all social ills amounting to insecurity to specific places including North Bank market had expressed optimism that the boys would embrace good behaviour or face the law.

However, the latest attack, which brings the number of cult-related killings in Makurdi alone to 20 within six months, indicated a worrying trend for security agencies and stakeholders.

The previous incidents include: Wednesday, April 23, 2025, when Raphael Ikyav, a youth mobiliser, was killed at his shop in Akpehe, while on February 9, 2025, four people died in a clash between rival groups in the Wadata area.

Similarly, on November 5, 2024, four persons were killed during a cult violence in the North Bank area just like on November 16, 2024, a soldier and three civilians were killed during a suspected cult rampage around Court 5 in North Bank.

Community leaders react

Benue humanitarian worker, Ukan Kurugh, blamed leadership struggles within cult groups for the clashes as he called for dialogue and deradicalisation efforts.

He noted that past successes in curbing cultism under a former Police Commissioner, Bashir Makama, were achieved through engaging cult leaders directly.

?Truthfully, these cult groups have leadership structures. Many of them are registered organisations and engage in various charitable activities. Some of their leaders are strongly opposed to the violent clashes, as they are working to redefine the purpose of their associations.

?Former Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Bashir Makama, worked diligently with these leaders to curb the menace and for over three years after his tenure, there were no reported cult-related killings. Unfortunately, his successor abandoned the approach.

?The police have an Anti-Cultism Department and know how to apprehend the perpetrators if they are committed to doing so. However, if the right arrests are not made, these individuals continue to move freely and cause havoc. As a solution, I believe all these organisations should be invited to a closed-door meeting to address the root of the problem. Their leaders, if engaged properly, would be willing to surrender those members who act contrary to the rules of their associations,? he posited.

Kurugh maintained that Sunday?s attack was a reprisal and had no political undertones, linking it to rivalry between groups known as the Red and the Blacks.

Experts weigh in

Psychosocial therapist, Ukeh George, described the rise in cultism as a failure of the Nigerian state to ensure smooth transitions from childhood to adulthood.

He cited poor family structures, unemployment, political sponsorship of cults, and a breakdown in moral education as key drivers.

George, who is the State Chairman of Nigeria Association of Social Workers, recommended integrating anti-cultism education into school curriculums and strengthening youth empowerment initiatives among others.

?The failure of the state of Nigeria to address this known social problem through strong family economic empowerment policies has remained the most precipitating factor,? he said.

Similarly, a retired senior officer of the Directorate of State Service (DSS), Orgem Angulum, expressed concern over the erosion of societal values and called for parental reorientation, vocational training centres, and the active involvement of traditional rulers to address the root causes of youth delinquency.

?The issue of cultism is widespread across the country; Benue is not isolated when it comes to the decline in moral values. It?s truly unfortunate. Growing up, we had youth organisations like the Boys? Brigade and the Girls? Guide, which helped in moulding young people.

?Back then, every adult was considered a parent to every child and could correct any child, whether biological or not. Today, those values have been completely eroded. Now, problems that should be handled within the family are pushed onto society, and parents bear a large part of the blame.

?There is little the security agencies can do, as they cannot simply go out and start shooting these children. Their options are limited. However, as a security expert, I would advise government agencies to embark on a high level of public orientation. They should organise seminars and training sessions for parents.

?The government should also establish vocational centres to engage idle youths, especially during school holidays, so they can learn skills. In addition, they should partner with traditional rulers and assign them specific roles. If traditional rulers can counsel or discipline erring youths and the youths still refuse correction, then security agencies can step in to handle the situation,? Angulum said. (Daily Trust)

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