ABUJA, NIGERIA — (NPA) March 16, 2026 — Amnesty International Nigeria has urged the Nigerian government to investigate what it described as a horrific attack in which at least 15 villagers were killed on Friday, March 13, 2026, in Ojantele Community of Apa Local Government Area, Benue State.
In a statement issued on March 15, Amnesty alleged that those killed were farmers picking fallen cashew nuts. It added that many people remain missing, and two women were abducted during the incident. The attack came just ten days after gunmen killed 13 people in Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities in Kwande LGA.
The human rights body criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s repeated claims of directing security agencies to end the killings, noting that the death toll continues to rise. Amnesty said villagers told its investigators that the government has left them “at the mercy of their attackers.”
The statement reads: “The Nigerian authorities must investigate the horrific attack in which at least 15 villagers were killed on Friday when gunmen invaded Ojantele community of Apa LGA Benue state on Friday. Those killed were farmers picking fallen cashew nuts. Since after the attack many people are missing and two women were abducted. This is coming 10 days after gunmen killed 13 people in Tyungu Jam and Mbaav communities in Yaav and Mbadura council wards of Kwande LGA. The President Bola Tinubu claims he has repeatedly tasked security agencies to end the killings, but the mounting death toll clearly shows nothing has changed. Most villagers told Amnesty International that the government left them at the mercy of their attackers. The government has an obligation to protect its population. The rising death toll in the north of Nigeria shows just how badly the authorities are failing in this responsibility.”
Benue State has remained the epicentre of killings by suspected terrorist herdsmen. The unchecked bloodshed prompted Agatu youths to protest on March 15, blocking the Oweto–Otukpo highway to demand government action.
This followed renewed violence in Kwande and Ushongo constituencies, where lawmakers raised alarms over escalating attacks. Together, these incidents underscore the scale of insecurity in Benue, with communities repeatedly targeted and residents demanding urgent intervention.
