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Popular Nigerian singer, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has condemned the recurring killings in Benue State, describing the attacks on communities in Otukpo Local Government Area as unacceptable and calling for collective action to end the violence.
The Benue-born artiste spoke on Wednesday during a visit to Otukpo-Nobi, one of the areas attacked by suspected armed herders in July.
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His remarks were contained in a video shared on his official Instagram page.
“It’s becoming too much now. We can’t pretend anymore. We need to begin planning. It won’t be automatic but there is definitely going to be a solution,” 2Baba said.
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He urged government, community leaders and residents to work together to address the persistent insecurity.
“It’s not going to be one person. We all need to come together and fight it. I came to sympathise with you all. It’s painful,” he added.
In a post accompanying the video, the singer wrote: “Benue is home. When home hurts, we all feel it. Today is about standing together, listening, and reminding one another that hope is never lost.”
The visit comes amid renewed attacks on communities in Benue, particularly in Otukpo and neighbouring local government areas, where dozens of people have been killed in recent weeks.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that on 12 July, suspected armed herders attacked Akpachi and Otukpo-Nobi in Otukpo Local Government Area, killing at least 10 people.
The attacks triggered protests, with youths carrying victims’ bodies to the Och’Idoma’s palace while demanding improved security.
The police later confirmed that eight people, comprising five adults and three children, were killed in the Otukpo-Nobi attack.
Benue Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, described the incident as a terrorist attack and said security agencies had intensified efforts to track those responsible.
READ ALSO: Benue: Suspected armed herders kill four
The violence escalated in the weeks that followed.
On 28 July, suspected armed herders attacked Efeyi-Ugboju community in Otukpo Local Government Area, killing at least 15 people and injuring several others, according to local authorities.
The attack occurred after a series of similar assaults that residents linked to heightened tensions following the killing of the Benue chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Risku Mohammed, on 26 June.
The renewed violence has drawn condemnation from several groups and public figures, including Amnesty International, which called for an independent investigation into the killings and urged Nigerian authorities to protect rural communities and prosecute those responsible.
Despite increased military and police operations across parts of the state, residents of affected communities have continued to call for stronger security measures to halt the attacks and allow displaced farmers return safely to their homes.
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