At least 100 individuals have lost their lives following a violent assault on a village in Nigeria’s Benue state, located in the north-central region. The tragic event was reported by Amnesty International Nigeria on Saturday, underscoring the severity of the crisis in Yelewata, a community situated within the Guma area. The attack spanned from late Friday night through the early hours of Saturday, leaving the community devastated.
The rights organization highlighted the grim aftermath on a social media platform, stating that numerous people remain missing, while hundreds have sustained injuries and are struggling without proper medical assistance. Amnesty also revealed the horrifying details, mentioning how many families were locked inside their homes, which were then set ablaze. Many bodies were found burned beyond recognition, adding to the atrocity.
Images and videos circulating on social media depict the gruesome scene, with several corpses and charred homes visible, indicating the severity of the assault’s impact. Udeme Edet, the spokesperson for Benue’s police department, acknowledged the occurrence of the attack but did not provide a precise death toll.
The identity of those responsible for this massacre remains uncertain, but such violence is not uncommon in Nigeria’s northern regions. Here, conflicts often arise between local herders and farmers over scarce land and water resources. Many farmers accuse herders, predominantly of Fulani descent, of allowing their livestock to graze on farmlands, causing significant destruction. Meanwhile, herders assert a historical right to these areas, citing laws dating back to 1965, shortly after Nigeria’s independence, which recognized certain lands as grazing routes.
This incident follows a similar attack last month in Benue’s Gwer West area, where gunmen, believed to be herders, killed at least 20 people. Furthermore, in April, the neighboring Plateau state witnessed the death of at least 40 individuals in another such attack.
In response to the tragedy, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has dispatched a delegation to Yelewata to provide support and assistance to the grieving families of the victims, demonstrating a commitment to addressing the immediate aftermath of the attack.