The deceased was named by the Chairman as Mr. Agage Ternenger, a commercial motor driver from Mbanyam in the Mbatyough Council Ward of Vandeikya LGA who operated the Obudu–Gboko route.
According to a statement released by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Gbaa Nguuma, the Chairman of Vandeikya LGA, the crisis began on July 18, 2025, when the Mbazarem community reported fresh gunfire purportedly emanating from the Abonkip side of the disputed borderland.
The statement noted that after speaking with his counterpart in Obudu LGA, the Vandeikya Chairman quickly organized Anyam Nyor, a local security group, together with other security officers, and traveled to the disputed area for peacekeeping and fact-finding.
The chairman and his group arrived and verified that gunfire was occurring. The chairman himself was the target of some unsettling gunfire. He traversed the region in spite of the danger and saw that Abonkip youths, who claimed their farmlands had previously been destroyed, had retaliated by destroying crops valued at millions of Naira on the Mbazarem side.
Officers from the Nigerian military, police, and the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) of Vandeikya and Obudu quickly gathered in the bush for a joint security briefing. Both groups were exhorted to accept peace and let their local administrations settle the dispute in a cooperative manner. By 4 p.m., this first peace engagement was over.
However, security reports indicate that shortly after the chairman left the region, hostilities returned. The Mbazarem village accused Abonkip youths of beginning indiscriminate shooting in violation of the “Bush Peace Accord.” In order to stop the violence from getting worse, the Chairman moved to Tsar, Mbaduku, when it reached around 7 p.m.
Tragically, Obudu Township was hit by violence that erupted from the jungle. According to reports, Tiv inhabitants of Benue ethnicity were attacked by Abonkip youths. Targeting Benue natives, many of whom are enrolled in degree programs at the Federal College of Education and the School of Nursing, as well as traders and businesspeople, armed groups were observed parading the streets of Obudu.
Regretfully, it has been verified that Abonkip teenagers lynched Agage Ternenge, a commercial driver who operated the Obudu–Gboko route, in Obudu Township. He was attacked and brutally murdered while delivering a waybill from Gboko.
“To de-escalate tension and prepare for a more extensive peace dialogue today, July 20, 2025, emergency meetings were held in Tsar and Obudu yesterday.”
The chairman denounced Mr. Ternenge’s death and the spread of his graphic murder on social media, calling it diabolical, vile, and barbarous. He further cautioned that the pointless crime would spark enduring animosity between the populace.
The chairman offered condolences to the victim’s family while urging Benue natives to maintain their composure and refrain from taking any kind of revenge on Cross River natives who live on the Benue side of the border. He underlined the necessity of letting the established authorities manage the situation properly and guarantee a peaceful settlement to the conflict.
