Suspected herdsmen attacked farmers in Yelwata, Benue State again, on Monday, killing three people and leaving three others with critical gunshot injuries.
The early morning assault triggered outrage among local women, who protested against the delayed response of security forces.
The women blocked the federal highway linking Benue and Nasarawa States, demanding that soldiers leave the area for allegedly failing to protect them.
Despite appeals from community leaders, the protesters refused to disperse, insisting on accountability.
Matthew Mnyam, a former government official, confirmed the incident, stating that the victims were ambushed while working on their farm. He added that the police commissioner was on-site managing the situation, while local officials were called to intervene.
Maurice Orwough, Chairman of Guma Local Government Area, acknowledged the attack and the protest, urging peace and cooperation from all stakeholders.
This latest violence follows a June attack in Yelwata, where dozens were killed and thousands displaced.
While official figures reported 59 deaths, civil society groups estimated the toll at around 200.
The persistent killings in Benue have drawn widespread condemnation, including from Pope Leo XIV, who denounced the violence and called for an end to the bloodshed.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
