Abandoned Christian Communities in Benue Appeal for Protection and Safe Return

BENUE STATE, NIGERIA - Residents of abandoned Christian farming communities in Nigeria’s central Benue State are appealing to the Nigerian government, the United States, and the United Nations for international assistance to end years of deadly attacks and make it possible for displaced families to safely return to their ancestral homes.

Residents say at least 22 communities across Agatu and Logo Local Government Areas remain largely deserted following years of repeated attacks that residents and some local officials attribute to armed Fulani militias.

Their accounts come amid continuing international concern over religiously motivated violence, insecurity and mass displacement in Nigeria’s Middle Belt. A May 2026 report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom noted that violence involving Fulani militants has contributed to displacement across the region, while emphasizing that the conflict is also shaped by overlapping ethnic, economic, environmental and security factors.

Agatu Residents Say Their Communities Remain Unsafe

In Agatu, residents of affected communities say armed groups seized their villages after arriving from northern areas through neighboring Nasarawa State, leaving thousands displaced and fearful of returning.

For those who remain or have attempted to survive near their abandoned communities, the crisis is more than a security statistic it is a daily struggle for food, shelter, education and personal safety.

‘We Sleep Outside With Our Children’

Elijah Matthew, a resident of Ogumongbo, told Globalvoice that repeated attacks had destroyed homes, churches, schools, markets and other community infrastructure.

“We had homes, farms and a future here. Today, many of us have nothing left. Our houses were destroyed, our farms were ruined and our families were scattered. We are asking only for the chance to live safely on our own land again.”

Matthew said many displaced residents have lost reliable sources of income and struggle to feed their families.

“We have no weapons to defend ourselves against people carrying assault rifles. We are Christian farmers and have no common boundary with Fulani terrorists. We want peace, security and the opportunity to return home and rebuild our lives.”

Agnes Amos, another Ogumongbo resident, described conditions she said have left families without adequate shelter or access to education.

“We have no houses to lay our heads and no school for our children. Our children are growing up without education. We sleep outside with them, wondering what tomorrow will bring.”

Amos said she survives by collecting and selling firewood and gathering local tree products from surrounding areas.

Dispute Over Whether Communities Have Been Reclaimed

The residents’ accounts conflict with claims by Agatu Local Government Chairman Melvin James Ejeh that communities previously controlled by armed groups have been liberated and that displaced residents are returning.

Ejeh told Globalvoice that when he assumed office, more than 15 communities were under the control of armed groups, but said military operations had subsequently driven the attackers away.

“When I emerged as the executive Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, I met more than 15 communities mostly in Agatu West under Fulani terrorists’ captivity. With the efforts of the men of the Military Joint Task Force, Operation Whirl Stroke, the terrorists have been sent away, and residents are now returning back home.”

But Epoh Moses, a resident of Ikpele, disputed that assessment.

“If our communities have truly been reclaimed, where are our people? More than 5,000 people once lived in my community. Today, fewer than 10 people remain, living in less than four structures. We have not returned because we do not feel safe.”

The conflicting accounts highlight a central question surrounding displacement in Benue: Does removing armed groups from a community automatically make it safe for displaced families to return?

Residents say it does not.

Logo Residents Say Security Presence Has Not Ended Attacks

In Logo Local Government Area, residents say the presence of Nigerian security forces has not eliminated the threat of further attacks.

Manasseh Umishi, Secretary General of the Tombo Security Council, told Globalvoice that armed groups continue to enter the area through routes connecting Taraba and Nasarawa states

.

“The Fulani militia are coming from the Northwest and neighboring countries through Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State and Awe in Nasarawa State and are hellbent to take over our ancestral land. Our soldiers are trying but are overwhelmed by a higher number of the terrorists with more sophisticated arms and are still killing our people. We need urgent international support to stop the bloodshed and make it possible for displaced families to return home.”

The Tombo Development Association has also raised concerns about continuing attacks and prolonged displacement, saying the violence has persisted for more than a decade.

Logo Local Government Chairman Clement Kav confirmed to Globalvoice that insecurity remains a serious concern around Ayilamo and surrounding communities.

“Despite the deployment of several security personnel, many neighboring communities had been deserted, with residents relocating to Ayilamo because they considered it relatively safer.”

Why Military Operations Alone May Not Be Enough

Security experts say restoring security to abandoned communities requires more than temporarily removing armed groups.

Awo Adanu, a retired Chief Superintendent of Police and counterterrorism expert, told Globalvoice that sustainable returns require long-term security guarantees and reconstruction.

“The central security challenge is not simply driving armed groups away from a village for a short period. A sustainable return requires permanent security coverage, functioning roads, rapid-response capacity, justice for victims and reconstruction of destroyed homes and public facilities.”

Without those conditions, Adanu said, displaced families may remain unwilling to return, while abandoned farmland could become a continuing source of instability.

The experience of communities in Agatu and Logo raises a broader question for Nigeria’s security response: What does liberation mean if displaced families still cannot safely return home?

For residents who have lost homes, farms, schools, churches and livelihoods, the demand is straightforward: security that lasts long enough for them to rebuild their lives.

Their appeal now extends beyond Benue State to Abuja, Washington and the international community for sustained attention to the insecurity, displacement and humanitarian consequences confronting Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

For thousands of displaced Nigerians, independence from fear will ultimately mean being able to return home, live safely on their ancestral land, educate their children and rebuild without fear of another attack.