Suspected cultists have killed at least eight people in separate locations within the High Level area of Makurdi, Benue State. The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday, May 11, 2026, just six days after a similar incident in the Agwan Jukun suburb of Makurdi metropolis, where three persons lost their lives.
Witnesses reported that the attack, which took place around 2 a.m. on Aliade, Onitsha, and Owerri streets, caused panic among residents. The Chairman of Makurdi Local Government Area, Joseph Keffi, confirmed the incident to journalists, describing it as ugly and pathetic. He stated that the violence occurred between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on Aliade Street.
According to Keffi, information available to him indicates that armed youths on motorcycles stormed a compound where four people were sleeping, called them out, and shot them dead. Four other individuals who reportedly came out after hearing gunshots were also killed. The chairman linked the attack to cult activities, involving a suspected cult member from the North Bank area of Makurdi who allegedly fled to High Level after a clash with rival members.
Keffi explained: It is quite ugly and pathetic. The incident happened around 2 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. and it was cult-related. What I heard was that a cult member from North Bank had a clash with his group and ran to stay with his friend in High Level. The friends and relatives who were killed were not cult members, but because they accommodated the boy, they were attacked and killed.
The council chairman said he had reported the incident to security agencies and expressed hope that the perpetrators would be arrested. He alleged that a suspect identified as Odinaka had been terrorizing Makurdi and other parts of the state. This is someone who was once apprehended by the police and later released. We just hope the police will do due diligence and get him arrested, he stated.
Keffi noted that the local government has continued to collaborate with security agencies and vigilante groups to tackle insecurity and cult-related violence across Makurdi. He added that security operatives swiftly responded to distress calls and cordoned off the area, but the attackers escaped. Residents said the corpses of the victims have been deposited at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital and Madonna Hospital mortuaries.
