Tension has gripped Ojoga community in Ichama, Okpokwu Local Government Area of Benue State following the murder of 22-year-old Joseph Gabriel Obitiye by a suspected Fulani herdsman identified as Suleiman, the son of Nana.

The incident occurred on Friday, March 28, 2025, at approximately 11:00 pm, hours after Obitiye had taken his wife to St. Mary’s Hospital, Okpoga, where she tragically delivered a stillborn child.

Upon returning home, friends gathered to console him, and they remained together late into the night.

According to an eyewitness, a group of six armed herdsmen, wielding AK-47 rifles and machetes, approached a nearby shop with the intention of looting provisions and food items — an act that locals claim has become a recurring problem in the community.

Not knowing they were armed, Obitiye reportedly walked towards the group and questioned their presence at such an ungodly hour.

Moments later, his friends heard him exclaim, “It’s Suleiman, Nana’s son!”, followed by the sound of gunshots.

Panic ensued as his friends fled for safety while the attackers continued shooting, disappearing into the nearby forest. When the gunfire stopped, the witnesses rushed back and found Obitiye lying in a pool of blood, murmuring the name “Suleiman, Nana’s son” before succumbing to his injuries.

He was rushed to St. Mary’s Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.

News of Obitiye’s murder spread rapidly, triggering outrage among residents. At dawn, a group of local youths and hunters mobilized and stormed the forest settlement of the Fulani herdsmen, only to find it completely abandoned, indicating that the herders had fled during the night.

The matter has since been reported to the Nigerian Police and other security agencies in Okpokwu LGA, sparking calls for swift justice.

Residents of Ichama community have raised serious concerns about the increasing wave of violence attributed to Fulani herdsmen.

While both groups had coexisted peacefully for years, tensions began in 2022, when an Ichama resident was allegedly killed by herdsmen. Since then, at least three community members have been murdered in similar attacks.

Many locals are now calling on the Benue State government and federal authorities to take immediate action to prevent the Fulani herders from returning to the area. They argue that justice must be served for Obitiye and other victims of similar attacks.

Community leaders insist that the government must strengthen security measures to curb the ongoing violence and protect residents from further attacks.

Professor Benjamin Okaba, President of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), has also condemned the incident, warning that continued negligence by the authorities could lead to more bloodshed and retaliation from locals.