A report released by the Nigerian branch of Amnesty International on June 26th, 2024, reveals that over 2,500 people have been killed in Benue State, located in central-eastern Nigeria, between January 2023 and February 2024. This region, which borders Cameroon, has long been plagued by violent clashes between herders and farmers. These intercommunal conflicts also pose a severe threat to food security in Africa’s most populous country.
Over the past decade, widespread insecurity has led to a significant decline in agricultural production in Benue, historically known as “the food basket of Nigeria.”
The data published by Amnesty International on Wednesday indicates that 18 out of the 23 local government areas in Benue State have been affected by repeated violence.
More than 2,500 people have lost their lives between January 2023 and February 2024. As is often the case, women and children are the primary victims of these massacres, according to Amnesty.
The NGO reports that 55 schools have been destroyed and 23 markets attacked and looted during this period.
This situation has also had dramatic consequences on food prices, with nearly 80% of farmers in some localities forced to abandon their lands to escape attacks by armed men, some of whom have been identified as Fulani herders from northern Nigeria.
Benue State is the leading producer of cassava, mangoes, oranges, and soybeans, and the third-largest rice-producing state in Nigeria. Meanwhile, food price inflation in the country exceeded 40% in May.
These findings underscore the urgent need for effective measures to address the root causes of the conflict and ensure the safety and livelihoods of the affected communities.