Amnesty International has strongly condemned the killing of at least nine persons who were reportedly murdered by gunmen on April, 12 in Ankpali Edikwu ward in Apa Local Government Area of Benue State.

The group, in a statement, posted on its verified Facebook page condemned the attack, describing it as part of a disturbing pattern of violence in the area. 

“Amnesty International strongly condemns the killing of 9 people during an attack on Ankpali Edikwu ward of Apa Local Government Area of Benue State. The gunmen that attacked the village on Sunday went on a shooting spree.

“Gunmen have recently attacked at least 7 villages in Apa local government area. During such attacks in Benue state, the gunmen ensured that after killing people, they also destroyed bore holes, clinics and schools,” the statement reads.

The organisation called on authorities in Nigeria to take immediate and decisive action to curb the violence and protect citizens.

“Authorities must move swiftly to match their words with serious and concrete action to guarantee the human rights of everyone in Nigeria if they are to be taken seriously on their oft-expressed commitment to stop the killings, violence, abductions and other human rights crimes in several parts of the country,” the group added. 

Benue is among states in the North-central region of the country, suffering farmer-herders clashes which had led to the death of 6,896 people in the state, according to a 2025 report.