Makurdi, Benue State – A horrific attack on Yelewata village in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State has claimed the lives of at least 100 people late Friday, marking one of the deadliest incidents recorded in the region this year. Amnesty International Nigeria, confirming the grim toll across multiple media platforms, reported that dozens more were injured and many remain missing following the brutal overnight raid.
According to Amnesty International, entire families were locked in their homes and set ablaze during the assault. “Many people are still missing… dozens injured and left without adequate medical care. Many families were locked up and burnt inside their bedrooms,” the organization stated in a social media post, accompanying circulating online images that depict charred houses and the lifeless bodies of victims strewn across the village.
While Udeme Eden, Police spokesperson in Benue State, confirmed the attack, a specific death toll was not immediately provided by authorities. The region has a long history of recurrent violence, often linked to armed herders and communal clashes. Pressure is now mounting on authorities to launch a full investigation and take decisive action.
In a powerful display of outrage and grief, hundreds of youths took to the streets of Makurdi, the state capital, on Sunday. Dressed in black and carrying palm fronds and placards, the demonstrators barricaded the busy Wurukum junction, disrupting traffic and demanding justice for the slain villagers. The protest sparked panic among motorists and commuters as roads remained impassable for hours. Despite a heavy police presence in the capital, the youths remained defiant, chanting slogans and calling for urgent security reforms.
“We are tired of burying our people. Benue cannot continue like this,” one emotional protester declared.
This devastating massacre in Yelewata occurred just a day after armed herders reportedly carried out separate attacks on Yelewata and Daudu towns, both within the same Guma Local Government Area, further highlighting the escalating security crisis in the region.
