Sorrow and anguish gripped Otobi Akpa community in Benue State on Sunday as 11 victims of the April 15th suspected herdsmen attack were laid to rest in a mass burial ceremony that drew hundreds of mourners.
The sight of the white caskets arriving on a pickup van broke the hearts of many. Women and children wailed openly, some collapsing to the ground in grief, while men stood solemnly, struggling to hold back tears. Even security personnel on duty were visibly moved by the emotional scenes at the burial ground.
For the people of Akpa, it was a dark day unlike any they had experienced.
"This is the first time in our history that we are gathering like this, not for a celebration, but to bury our loved ones massacred in cold blood," said community leader Emaikwu Ode, his voice heavy with emotion.
Ode recalled that the Akpa people have a long tradition of peaceful coexistence, even with Fulani herders who once lived among them.
"In the past, whenever misunderstandings arose, we had mechanisms for peaceful resolution," he said. "But in recent times, that peace has been shattered. We are now witnessing kidnappings and brutal killings for the slightest reason."
Warning that the community's patience is wearing thin, Ode issued a passionate appeal to the government to step in before the violence spirals into a wider conflict.
"We have heard of these attacks happening elsewhere, in places like Plateau State. Now it has come to our doorstep. We cannot continue to fold our arms while our people are slaughtered," he said.
He added that some residents remain missing since the attack, raising fears of further tragedy. Of the 15 people killed during the assault, four were non-indigenes whose bodies were returned to their home villages for burial.
Sunday’s mass burial left a scar on the soul of Otobi Akpa — a painful reminder of the growing insecurity that continues to threaten rural communities across Benue State and beyond.
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