A large rice farm belonging to a local farmer, Mr. Ugbakayaa, has been set ablaze by suspected herdsmen in Tse Orbiam, along the Naka–Makurdi road in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, causing losses estimated at several millions of naira.
The tragic incident, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, November 2, 2025, reportedly destroyed multiple hectares of cultivated farmland, including rice that had already been harvested and packed for threshing.
Eyewitness Account of the Devastation
An eyewitness, Mr. Ado Bartholomew, described the fire as sudden and uncontrollable, engulfing the entire field in a matter of minutes.
“The whole farm went up in flames within minutes. All the rice that was harvested and packed for threshing was destroyed,” Bartholomew told FirstTVOnline, calling the incident a devastating setback for the Ugbakayaa family.
Residents who trooped to the scene watched helplessly as the blaze consumed the farm, with many lamenting the repeated attacks on farmers by suspected herdsmen in the area.
Farmers Cry Out Over Insecurity
The Ugbakayaa family, whose major source of livelihood was the rice plantation, has been left in shock and despair following the destruction. Locals decried the lack of adequate security protection for farmers despite previous attacks in the region.
Community leaders in Gwer West condemned what they termed “targeted attacks on food producers”, warning that if left unchecked, the situation could worsen food insecurity across Benue State.
“How can our people continue farming when herdsmen keep destroying everything we plant? The government must act before we all starve,” a resident lamented.
Benue’s Worsening Security Situation
Gwer West, one of the most fertile agricultural zones in Benue, has suffered repeated assaults from armed herdsmen, leading to mass displacement of farmers and the abandonment of farmlands.
These recurring incidents have crippled agricultural productivity in the state, widely regarded as Nigeria’s food basket.
Despite several government assurances and the presence of security checkpoints along the Naka–Makurdi road, locals say attackers continue to operate freely without arrests or prosecution.
As of press time, neither the Benue State Police Command nor the Operation Whirl Stroke security task force had issued an official statement regarding the attack.
The community is now calling for immediate intervention from both the state and federal governments to prevent further destruction and to restore confidence among local farmers.
