Former PDP Chairman Killed Amid Surging Violence in Benue State

On June 20, 2025, gunmen riding motorbikes stormed the Wannune market in Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State and shot dead Aondoakaa Yaiyol (also called Yayough Aondoakaa). Yaiyol was a prominent local figure – a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairman in Tarka LGA – who had recently been serving as the Commander of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Services in that area. Eyewitnesses said the assailants inquired about Yaiyol’s whereabouts before opening fire at close range. The attackers reportedly fired into the air to scatter bystanders as they fled on motorcycles escorted by vehicles. Local officials confirmed the slaying the next day, and police said they immediately launched a manhunt. Benue police spokesman DSP Udeme Edet said officers traced a suspect’s hideout, but the suspect escaped; the police promised that he would “soon be apprehended”.

• Victim: Aondoakaa “Yayough” Aondoakaa/Yaiyol, former PDP chairman of Tarka LGA. Before his death he was the local commander of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Services in Tarka.

• Date/Location: Friday night, June 20, 2025, at Wannune Market in Tarka LGA, Benue State.

• Attack: Multiple gunmen on motorcycles stopped at the market, called out for Yaiyol, and shot him dead at point-blank range. Accomplices in cars also fired guns into the air, spreading panic, before the attackers fled.

• Background: Yaiyol had survived a previous ambush in 2024 that killed his wife and burned their home. According to PDP officials, he “was once PDP chairman in Tarka LGA” before leading the local forest security unit.

• Aftermath: Police and security teams pursued leads immediately. The PDP state secretary and the governor’s security adviser both confirmed his assassination. As of press time, no group had claimed responsibility, and authorities continued investigations.

Victim’s Role in the Community

Aondoakaa Yaiyol was not only a party leader but also known locally as a community defender. He headed the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Services in Tarka LGA, a local militia-style outfit intended to protect forests and villages from banditry. This position followed his earlier tenure as chairman of the PDP in the LGA. His family’s history shows a pattern of targeting: Punch reports that in 2024 a criminal attack killed Yaiyol’s wife and torched their house in a failed attempt to eliminate him. In sum, Yaiyol was a well-known figure in Wannune and neighboring communities – a former local party boss and current security commander whose killing has sent shockwaves through the area. Local party officials have expressed fear and confusion: the PDP publicity secretary confirmed the assassination and lamented that the veteran cadre, who had already suffered personal loss, was cut down in cold blood.

Eyewitness and Official Accounts of the Killing

Witnesses at Wannune market saw the gunmen arrive on bikes. They asked market traders if Yaiyol was present, then “shot him dead at close range,” according to one eyewitness report. The attackers then opened fire into the air – an act intended to frighten and disperse onlookers – before fleeing the scene in vehicles. Chief Joseph Har, Special Adviser to Governor Alia on Security, described the scene as an “assassination” carried out by bike-riding gunmen. He said investigators found that the same assailant who killed Yaiyol’s wife in 2024 had escaped from prison and reportedly “chased” the couple before this latest attack.

Police confirmed the shooting and vowed to capture the killers. DSP Udeme Edet of Benue State Police said that once officers received the report, they immediately mobilized to arrest suspects. Although officers traced a suspect to a hideout, the man escaped before they could detain him. Edet assured the public that the suspect would soon be apprehended. In the meantime, state authorities have increased patrols in the area.

Benue’s Escalating Violence

Map highlighting Benue State (yellow) in Nigeria’s central Middle Belt. This agrarian state – often called the country’s “Food Basket” for its yam, maize and soybean production – has been wracked by a series of deadly communal and herder–farmer conflicts. In recent months alone, multiple mass killings have occurred. On June 14, 2025, Amnesty International reported that gunmen massacred roughly 100 villagers in Yelewata (Guma LGA) late at night, locking people in their homes and burning buildings as dozens escaped. In late May 2025, another spate of raids in Gwer West LGA left 42 people dead across four villages. Earlier in April, about 56 residents were killed over an Easter weekend in Benue by suspected herdsmen. Each of these attacks involved heavily armed gunmen – often identified as Fulani herders – overrunning farming communities.

According to analysts, these documented cases are only part of the picture. Conflict researchers note that hundreds more have been slain in Benue since 2019. For instance, SBM Intelligence reports over 500 people killed and 2.2 million displaced by herder–farmer violence in the region since 2019. Similarly, a civilian conflict database tallied about 2,347 fatalities in 359 nationwide incidents of farmer–herder clashes from 2020–2024. These disputes are rooted in fierce competition over land and water. Benue straddles Nigeria’s mainly Muslim North and predominantly Christian South, and grazing routes historically carved through farmlands. As climate pressures and population grow, grazing land has shrunk. Herder groups say they need pasture for their cattle, while farmers insist crop fields must be protected. This mix of economic pressure and ethnic–religious difference has repeatedly ignited violence in Benue’s rural districts.

Recent major attacks in Benue: To illustrate the trend, consider these episodes:

• Mid-June 2025 (Yelewata): ~100 villagers killed by gunmen, many locked in their homes.

• Late May 2025 (Gwer West): 42 people slain in two days across Tyolaha, Tse-Ubiam, Ahume and Aondona villages.

• April 2025 (Plateau State): ~56 people killed by herdsmen during the Easter period, underscoring the regional scope.
  All these attacks, like the Wannune murder, fit a wider pattern of remote villages facing sudden armed assaults. Community watch programs and local vigilantes have also proliferated, but they have not stemmed the bloodshed.

Government and Security Responses

Nigeria’s security leadership has publicly vowed to redouble efforts in Benue. On June 21, 2025, Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede told journalists that the military was “fully deployed” in North-Central states and specifically promised “very elaborate security arrangements” for Benue in the coming weeks. He said President Tinubu had given clear orders to bring the violence to an end and urged local communities to cooperate by sharing timely intelligence. Likewise, the President himself personally condemned the Benue massacres. Tinubu described the killings as “senseless bloodletting” and said “enough is now enough.” He has directed security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators on all sides of the conflict, and prosecute them. In a statement, Tinubu also appealed to political and community leaders to avoid inflammatory rhetoric that might provoke reprisals.

On the state level, Deputy Governor Sam Ode publicly blamed suspected herders for the massacres. Both Governor Alia’s administration and security advisors say additional checkpoints and patrols have been set up. The Benue governor even convened crisis meetings with local chiefs to seek immediate calm. Meanwhile, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the North called on the federal government to declare a “total war” on the criminals terrorizing Benue. In the international sphere, Pope Leo XIII decried the slaughter as a “terrible massacre”. He noted that many victims were already displaced persons living in a rural mission camp, and he prayed for lasting peace in Nigeria’s restive Middle Belt.

Security statistics underscore the seriousness of the crisis. The Abuja-based research firm SBM Intelligence, cited by Reuters, tallied over 2.2 million internally displaced Nigerians across the herder–farmer conflict since 2019. DW News likewise reports that roughly 500 lives have been claimed in Benue’s communal violence over the same period. Within weeks of the Yaiyol killing, protesters in Makurdi, the state capital, took to the streets. Youths gathered to denounce the bloodshed and lamented the fate of their communities; they were met with tear gas from authorities during the demonstration. Opposition figures also seized on the tragedy: the PDP and its leaders condemned the Benue attacks as yet another failure of the incumbent government to protect citizens. (For example, former VP Atiku Abubakar called the ongoing bloodshed “devastating” and said it could no longer be ignored.)

Political Implications

The assassination of a known PDP leader in Benue carries weighty political overtones. First, it reveals that even established party operatives are not safe, which could deter active political participation. In a state where elections are fiercely contested, fear of violence may suppress campaigning or turnout. Voters and local officials may now worry: if a former ward chairman and security commander can be targeted in broad daylight, what chance do ordinary citizens have of protection? Such incidents can erode trust in the government (both state and federal) to maintain law and order. The fact that Yaiyol himself had served as a local government security boss suggests that militants may feel emboldened to challenge any authority figure.

Secondly, the killing feeds into Benue’s partisan narrative. The state is currently governed by the PDP, while opposition forces hold sway in many neighboring regions. The PDP leadership will likely use this event to accuse rivals of stoking insecurity; indeed, party statements already label the violence a “horrifying chapter” under the current federal administration. Meanwhile, opposition politicians may portray it as evidence that local officials have failed to secure their own strongholds. In either case, public confidence in local governance takes a hit. Communities may question whether security agencies will prioritize protecting them or focus on political loyalties instead. Over time, a cycle of blame between parties could hamper genuine conflict resolution.

Finally, this attack raises broader concerns about democratic engagement. Persistent insecurity tends to undermine elections: if citizens fear gathering at rallies or even going to polling stations, voter turnout and the perceived legitimacy of outcomes may decline. Candidates might avoid conflict-prone areas, leaving certain communities without effective representation. In Benue and other violence-prone regions of Nigeria, analysts warn that the democracy itself becomes impaired when fundamental safety cannot be guaranteed. The message sent by Yaiyol’s assassination is chilling: personal or political disputes can turn deadly, and that reality breeds disengagement.

Impact on Daily Life and Governance

Beyond politics, the human toll of Benue’s unrest is profound. Survivors of attacks describe grave psychological scars. Families have fled ancestral farms, moving into makeshift camps far from their homes. In at least one massacre, government reports noted that many victims were IDPs sheltering in a market when gunmen set nearby homes ablaze. As the AP has reported, gunmen in Yelewata burned food stores and a year’s worth of harvest (yams, rice, maize), depriving communities of their staple supplies. Such losses translate directly into hunger and economic hardship.

Daily routines have been upended. Farmers in affected areas often skip planting seasons out of fear; markets close early or operate under the watch of armed guards. Parents hesitate to send children to school, and clinics remain understaffed as health workers avoid danger zones. Even urban centers feel the strain: displaced villagers flood cities like Makurdi, stretching shelter and social services thin. In the short term, local economies shrink and food prices can spike. In the long term, a climate of insecurity discourages businesses from investing in Benue.

On the governance side, perpetual violence erodes faith in leadership. When communities see massacres continue despite government promises, cynicism grows. “Our farmers are the backbone of our economy, yet they live in constant fear,” lamented one Benue lawmaker last year – a sentiment that rings even truer today. Municipal councils struggle to function normally under emergency conditions. Policing resources are stretched thin, and soldiers or local vigilantes often have the last word in many villages. This environment can stifle civic participation: people may withdraw from community meetings or refrain from voicing grievances if they fear it could bring retaliation.

Looking ahead, without decisive action to restore security, the cycle may worsen. Every high-profile killing like Yaiyol’s casts a longer shadow over Benue’s future. It reinforces the idea that violence, not ballots, dictates outcomes. For Nigerian democracy, this is a cautionary tale: stable governance relies on safe, confident citizens. Until Benue’s rural communities feel protected, their ability to engage freely in democratic life will remain compromised.

Sources: Verified reports from Punch and other reputable news outlets provide the factual basis for this account, along with statements from security officials and research data on the violence in Benue State. BHG-InfoDesks is committed to factual, balanced reporting on Nigeria’s evolving security situation.