BENUE STATE, Nigeria – Suspected armed cattle rustlers killed a ranch owner and a local vigilante member before stealing nearly 50 cows during an attack on Okpafie community in Oyilawu, Okonobo Ward at approximately 1:00 AM WAT on Thursday, July 2, 2026.
Okay News reports that Adah Inalegwu, Chairman of the Okpokwu Local Government Area, confirmed the incident and stated that approximately 12 men armed with AK-47 rifles carried out the raid.
“Some cattle rustlers came around 1am this morning to Okpafie village in Okonobo Council Ward. They were about 12 in number and were all heavily armed with AK-47 rifles,” Inalegwu said. “The owner of the cattle was asleep when they attacked him. They had made several attempts in the past, but he had always repelled them. This time, they neutralised him first before taking the cows.”
Local residents alerted vigilantes who engaged the attackers in a gun battle around the Okpoga-Ai-Dogodo axis. “two people sustained gunshot wounds and one later died,” Inalegwu said.
An unidentified community source stated the attackers struck while many local youths were watching a football match at a viewing centre. “The armed herdsmen sneaked into the village at about 1am when many of the youths were at a viewing centre watching the ongoing World Cup matches,” the source said. “They attacked the home of Benjamin, who owned a ranch, killed him, and then moved about 50 cattle out of the ranch. The animals followed them.”
The community source detailed the confrontation between the fleeing suspects and local security. “The sound of the gunfire alerted the youths and members of the local vigilante. As the attackers attempted to escape, the vigilantes confronted them, but one of the vigilante members was shot dead while the criminals fled with the cattle toward neighbouring communities. The search for the rustlers and the stolen cattle is still ongoing,” the source said.
Security operatives from the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force have launched a manhunt for the suspects. “We are still trailing them because they are believed to be hiding in the bush. The police and the army are on their trail, and we hope they will be apprehended,” Inalegwu said. “Soldiers and other security operatives have visited the community and assured residents that steps are being taken to prevent a recurrence. We are also working towards establishing a standby security team because such a response could have helped repel the attackers.”
Inalegwu stated that the attackers are herders who operate across the boundary connecting Ado Local Government Area and Okpokwu Local Government Area with Ebonyi State. “Our investigations show that the suspects usually operate through the boundary linking Ado and Okpokwu LGAs with Ebonyi State. We tracked their phone numbers to Ezza-Igbo in Ebonyi State,” he said. The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report.
