Yelewata, Benue State — Horror struck Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State over the weekend, as suspected armed herders unleashed a devastating midnight assault, leaving over 100 people dead and many others injured or missing.
The attack, which occurred late Friday into Saturday morning, marks the third violent incident in the community within a single week, amplifying growing concerns of targeted ethnic violence in the region.
Local reports indicate that the attackers arrived shortly before midnight, launching a prolonged siege with heavy gunfire and incendiary tactics that left the community in ruins. Many of the victims were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who had been taking shelter in makeshift stalls, market shops, and communal spaces.
“This was more than an attack — it was a massacre,” said a Guma LGA official who requested anonymity. “Bodies are still being recovered. Families were burned alive. Over 100 people, mostly IDPs, are gone. Entire households — parents, children, grandparents — wiped out in one night.”
The slaughter was especially shocking given the vulnerability of the IDPs, most of whom had fled previous attacks in other troubled parts of the state. Residents say the attackers used petrol to set shelters ablaze while victims slept, making escape nearly impossible.
In a separate but related incident in Daudu, another community in Guma LGA about 20 minutes from Makurdi, two soldiers were ambushed and killed during a response mission by security forces trying to contain the situation.
Chief Dennis Denen Gbongbon, President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley (AUFBV), confirmed the Yelewata attack and described it as “a nightmare beyond imagination.”
“Eighty-five percent of those killed were displaced persons who had already suffered great loss. They fled violence in places like Antsa, Dooka, and Kadarko, hoping for refuge in Yelewata. But death followed them,” Gbongbon said.
Security officials are still working to confirm full details. Chief Joseph Har, Special Adviser on Security to the Benue State Governor, acknowledged the twin attacks but noted that he had not yet received a complete briefing.
Meanwhile, Operation Whirl Stroke spokesperson Lt. Zubair Ahmad said investigations are ongoing and promised to provide updates, while the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the Yelewata attack but declined to give casualty numbers.
“Our teams responded and engaged the attackers. Some of them were neutralized. Sadly, some innocent lives were lost,” Edet stated. “Efforts to track and apprehend the fleeing assailants are ongoing. We will not rest until the region is safe.”
The tragic assault underscores the fragile state of security in Benue’s border communities, particularly the areas affected by long-standing farmer-herder clashes.
By Enoch Odesola| June 14, 2025.
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