About 200 people, including women, children, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and five security operatives, were killed during brutal attacks on two communities in Benue State’s Guma Local Government Area over the weekend.
The violence reportedly occurred in Yelewata and Daudu, leaving hundreds of families in mourning and many more injured or missing.
Local sources say the attacks began late at night, with armed herders storming Yelewata from both eastern and western flanks. They allegedly overpowered local youth groups and police officers trying to protect the area.
Once resistance was subdued, the attackers reportedly opened fire on unarmed residents, many of whom were displaced persons seeking shelter in market stalls.
Witnesses say entire families were wiped out. Children and toddlers were among the victims, with several burned alive in makeshift shelters. The market stalls, where IDPs were sleeping due to their closeness to security checkpoints, were set ablaze with people inside.
While the Yelewata assault unfolded, another group of armed men attempted to invade Daudu. They encountered resistance from both youths and security forces, resulting in a firefight that claimed the lives of some soldiers and police officers. A military source confirmed that two soldiers died, but added no further details.
Community leader Mr. Matthew Mnyan described the situation as a “planned and coordinated” attack. He said: “They killed our people, poured petrol on the stalls in the market and burnt them… We had a family of 15, some families of 12, men with their two wives, children and every one of them burnt. It is a terrible sight.”
He noted that warnings of a potential attack had been circulating for over a week. Reports from neighboring Nasarawa State had suggested that terrorists were planning assaults on Yelewata, Ukoho, Ortese, Yogbo, and Daudu. According to Mnyan, more than 300 armed attackers had been camped near Daudu prior to the incident.
Chief Dennis Gbongbon, President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley, also condemned the killings. He blamed the violence on “Lakurawa bandits” and noted that “85 per cent of the victims are IDPs who ran from Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, and Giza areas and took refuge in various stores in Yelewata market.”
He said many of the IDPs were farmers who had already fled violence in their home communities. “Even having run from sacked homes to IDPs camp, terror still followed them unabated,” he noted.
Chief Joseph Har, Special Adviser on Internal Security to the Benue State Governor, acknowledged the attacks but said he could not provide a precise casualty count. “I am aware that this ugly thing happened yesterday in Yelwata and at the back of Daudu. They were two different attacks,” he stated.
The Benue State Police Command also confirmed the incidents in a statement released by its spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet. “Some individuals lost their lives and others sustained injuries… The Police and Tactical Teams responded swiftly to the attack and engaged the attackers in a fierce exchange,” the statement read.
Search and rescue operations are still ongoing, and the casualty figure may rise as more bodies are recovered. Survivors continue to receive treatment in hospitals while families search for missing loved ones.
