Residents along the Makurdi–Lafia highway on Saturday blocked the road in protest following the killing of five farmers on their way to the farm near the outskirts of Makurdi, bordering Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
The killings, which occurred in separate incidents on Friday and early Saturday, led to the villagers placing the corpses of three victims on the road as part of their protest.
According to eyewitnesses, two individuals were killed on Friday around Tse Adaa village in Guma, while three others were brutally murdered Saturday morning in the Abagena and Atsom communities of Makurdi LGA.
One resident, Terkaa Asongo, said the protesters brought the bodies to the highway to demand immediate government intervention. “The killings prompted the protesters to move the corpses to the road, demanding government action to end the attacks,” he said.
A traveller, Melody Ede, who was en route to Abuja, said the blockade caused significant delays, leaving many motorists stranded for hours. “But as we speak, we see security agencies actively working to resolve the situation and restore safe passage,” Ede added.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the killing of two farmers in a Guma village.
However, she stated she was not yet aware of any road blockade involving corpses. “I’ll call the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area for further information,” Edet said.