Angry youths on Saturday blocked the Makurdi-Lafia-Abuja highway with the bodies of three farmers reportedly killed by suspected armed herdsmen.
The incident happened in Abagena and Atsom villages, on the outskirts of Makurdi Local Government Area, throwing the busy road into chaos.
The protesters, who stormed the road around 9am, disrupted vehicular movement between Makurdi and Daudu, leaving commuters stranded.
According to one of the protesters, who gave his name as Ushahemba, the victims were attacked while working on their farms earlier in the day.
He said: “Our people went to the farm this morning and at about 8:30am there were cries for help from the farms after they got attacked. There was pandemonium, people started running with their families.
“The attacks happened just about one kilimeter from the express road. They killed some of those they reached in the farm and took away some of the victims.
“Three bodies have so far been recovered while search for more corpses is ongoing because several persons are still missing.
“Our people cannot even go very far into the bush where more corpses could be discovered because no one knows where the attackers are at the moment.
“Just yesterday two others were killed at Tse Adaa village not far from here in neighbouring Guma LGA. The question is when will all these killings stop?
“And the only way the people can expressed their anger is to bring the corpses to the road to let the authorities understand what we are going through and the need to end these attacks in order to allow our people cultivate their farmland.
“The people were also asking for the Governor to come and address them before they leave the highway.”
It was gathered that security personnel deployed to the area prevailed on the protesters to open up the road.
Efforts to reach the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, for comments were unsuccessful.