Benue Tragedy: Farmer Dies Fleeing After False Fulani Attack Alarm in Agatu

A 54-year-old farmer who hailed from the Usha community in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue State has slumped and died over a false alarms of attack that was raised by some youths in the community .

It was gathered that on Wednesday the farmer identified who was later identified as Jeremiah Onuminya was on his way to the farm on Monday when some boys shouted ‘Fulani! Fulani!! and in a bid to escape, he ran for his dear life.”Unfortunately, he was a few metres from his house when he slumped and died,” a source in the community disclosed to newsmen.

The deceased’s farm, according to the locals who spoke to reporters in Benue state is next to the farm where 20 cows were allegedly poisoned last Saturday.

The Chairman of Agatu Local Government Area, Melvin James, has confirmed tge tragic incident in a a statement made available to pressmen by his media aide, Solomon Obochi, in Makurdi, the Benue state capital on Wednesday.

The LGA chairman , claimed to have reached out to the family of the deceased to console them, but the family declined his suggestion to conduct an autopsy.

The statement read in parts, “Agatu Local Government Council deeply mourns the unfortunate demise of Mr Jeremiah Onuminya from Usha Ward, who passed away on March 31, 2025, following a distressing incident triggered by a false alarm about an impending attack.

“Preliminary investigations, corroborated by security agencies and Mr. Onuminya’s family, indicate that he collapsed due to exhaustion while fleeing, and there was no evidence of any assault by Fulani herdsmen.

“In an effort to ascertain the exact cause of death, the chairman suggested conducting an autopsy. However, the family declined, accepting that Onuminya’s passing resulted from health complications.”

The council chairman urged all residents to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information that could incite panic and disrupt the peace, warning that dissemination of false alarms poses significant risks to the well-being of the people and undermines the progress being made in fostering unity and security.

While expressing his commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all Agatu residents, the LG chair promised to collaborate with security agencies to maintain vigilance and address any potential threats.

He chairman further urged the residents of Agatu to exercise caution and verify information before sharing to prevent the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents in future.