Nigeria: Survivors recount nightmare as Benue mourns over 200 dead in herdsmen massacre

By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria

Survivors of the recent Yelewata massacre in Benue State have shared heartbreaking accounts of the deadly assault by suspected armed herdsmen, which left over 200 people dead and entire families wiped out. The attacks, which occurred last Friday in Guma Local Government Area, were carried out under cover of a heavy downpour, with armed attackers burning homes, grain stores, and entire families alive.

Michael Ajah, who lost 20 family members, described how his home and shops were set ablaze. “They burnt everything—our food, my stores, and my family,” he said. He recounted how the attackers, speaking Fulani, surrounded the house before killing and burning those inside.

Another survivor, Bature Bartholomew, lost his mother, brother, and sister-in-law in the same house. His livelihood, which included stores of rice, maize, and soya beans, was also destroyed.

Joseph Kwagh, who lost eight immediate family members, said the community had received prior threats, but dismissed them as usual rumors. The attackers struck during a heavy rainstorm, catching many off guard as they sought shelter. “My father, stepmother, and six siblings ran into our grain store to hide from the rain. That’s where they were all killed,” Kwagh said.

In the aftermath, Governor Hyacinth Alia urged communities to embrace community policing rather than take up arms in self-defence. However, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, supported local civilian defence units like the Civilian Joint Task Force model in Borno State.

As the state grieves, calls for justice and accountability are intensifying. The United Nations has condemned the attack, demanding prosecution of those responsible. Meanwhile, the Benue State House of Assembly admitted collective failure in protecting the people and declared a three-day mourning period from June 18 to 20.

Peter Obi, Labour Party’s presidential candidate, welcomed President Tinubu’s visit to the affected area but criticized the delayed response. “Prompt presence shows compassion,” Obi said, urging the president to visit flood-ravaged Mokwa in Niger State as well.

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria also called on the federal government to reclaim lands allegedly taken by armed groups and overhaul the current security framework. Describing the killings as acts of invasion, the PFN stated: “If any state deserves a state of emergency, it is Benue.”

As Benue mourns its dead and survivors try to rebuild their shattered lives, the nation watches to see if the promised security reforms will finally bring peace to a region long plagued by violence.