Makurdi – As President Bola Tinubu arrives in Benue State today, survivors of last Friday’s savage assault in Yelewata (Guma LGA) are sharing chilling accounts of armed herdsmen targeting villagers—primarily women and children—with over 200 confirmed dead. Homes were torched and entire families wiped out.
Governor Hyacinth Alia has dismissed calls for vigilantism, promoting instead a strengthened community policing model. Meanwhile, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa advocated for civilian joint task forces, akin to those in Borno, and the UN called for accountability.
Personal Testimonies
Michael Ajah: “I lost 20 relatives”
Ajah mourned the loss of 20 family members and his entire stock and home. He recalled gunmen invading during heavy rain at about 10:20 pm. “They were Fulani men; I heard them speak,” he said. He escaped with only the garments on his back—all else, including family and property, was destroyed.
Bature Bartholomew: “Livelihoods destroyed”
Bartholomew lost his brother, sister-in-law, mother, and millions of naira worth of grains—maize, guinea corn, soya, rice—when attackers burned down his storage and home.
Joseph Kwagh: “Eight family members killed”
Kwagh watched as gunshots erupted during a storm. Amid confusion, his stepmother, father, and six siblings fled across the expressway but were later found among the burned bodies. He also lost all his farming supplies and fears he might never return to cultivate land.
Kwagh noted recurrent tensions—cattle trampling crops go inadequately compensated, and communities are impoverished. Efforts to reclaim farmland were met with threats. “Yelewata was massacred unprovoked; we can’t farm in peace,” he said.
Official and Security Responses
Governor Alia urged citizens to reject self-defense, stating emotion-driven actions can heighten insecurity. Instead, he championed community policing, arguing local knowledge is crucial in protection.
Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa met traditional leaders, pledging enhanced military-community partnerships. He acknowledged possible insider collaboration and announced a cross-border manhunt led by military and police forces.
Additional security support: Inspector-General Kayode Egbetokun toured the site; SGF George Akume arrived in Yelewata; and calls have intensified to enforce the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Law.
Legislative and Civil Society Reactions
Benue’s House of Assembly members accused the state of failing its people and urged enforcement of anti-grazing laws. Many called for the eviction of Fulani herders and declared a three-day state mourning (June 18–20, 2025).
Former VP Atiku Abubakar and ex-Senate President David Mark have demanded urgent justice. Labour Party’s Peter Obi praised Tinubu’s visit but urged similar prompt responses in flood-affected Niger State.
International Condemnation
UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the assault and called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice, pledging close monitoring of developments.
Broader Context
Benue, known as Nigeria’s “food basket,” continues to grapple with deadly herder-farmer conflicts rooted in land, grazing, and ethnic tensions. Previous mass killings in the state reinforce the need for structural security reforms.
Mokwa vs. Mthatha: The Call for Responsive Leadership
Combined, the trip from Abuja to Mokwa and back totals about 1,134 kilometers, which is still significantly shorter than the 1,870 km round trip recently undertaken by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, who traveled from Pretoria to Mthatha to personally console flood victims.
In contrast, less than 100 lives were lost in the South African flood disaster, while over 200 Nigerians perished in Mokwa, and more than 1,000 are still unaccounted for.
“If President Ramaphosa could personally respond to a crisis of that scale,” one local leader said, “we believe our President can do the same for Nigerians.”
A visit to Mokwa, they argued, would underscore a strong message: that every Nigerian life counts, no matter how rural the community. Citizens also called for increased national security, particularly in high-risk and disaster-prone zones.
The appeal closed with a powerful sentiment:
“We don’t want leadership from a distance. What we need is proactive leadership—the kind that shows empathy through action. A new Nigeria is not only necessary—it is possible.”
PFN to Tinubu: “Act Decisively or Risk National Collapse”
The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN) has added its voice to growing calls for urgent federal intervention in Benue, Plateau, and other regions plagued by escalating violence and kidnappings.
In a strongly worded statement, PFN President Bishop Francis Wale Oke described the Benue situation as a national emergency, demanding bold and immediate governmental action.
“We urge the federal government to reclaim territories overrun by terrorists and restore them to their rightful indigenous owners,” Bishop Oke stated.
He emphasized the trauma and displacement caused by ongoing attacks, warning that the fabric of society is unraveling in states like Benue.
Failed Security Architecture
Bishop Oke didn’t mince words about the state’s failure:
“The current security system has completely failed. What’s happening isn’t a communal clash—it’s an invasion by illegally armed militias aimed at displacing indigenous communities.”
He was especially outraged by repeated attacks on IDP camps, calling them “heinous crimes” against the most vulnerable. He argued Benue deserves a state of emergency declaration and stronger federal commitment.
Although he acknowledged President Tinubu’s directive to deploy special security forces, the PFN insists such measures are belated and inadequate given the scale of devastation.
“We need more than condolence visits. This is not a localized conflict—it’s a campaign of displacement and terror,” he warned.
The PFN also extended its concerns to Plateau, Taraba, and other embattled states, urging the federal government to assert control, restore peace, and protect lives.
Senate: “We Are Tired of Mourning—It’s Time to Act”
The Nigerian Senate joined the chorus of concern yesterday, urging the federal government to halt the relentless bloodshed that continues to plague communities across the country.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, Chair of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, emphasized the need for urgent action:
“We’ve done enough condolence visits—from Plateau to Benue. Now, it’s time to act. Security starts locally, and traditional rulers must be part of the solution.”
He confirmed that President Tinubu’s visit to Benue marks a renewed commitment from both the executive and legislative branches to confront insecurity head-on.
National Security Summit Incoming
Senator Adaramodu revealed that the National Assembly is organizing a national security summit. The summit will bring together military leaders, civil society groups, media, women, youth, and other stakeholders to explore long-term security solutions.
“We are serious this time. Enough of mass burials and mourning. Let’s uncover the root of this crisis and fix it—across Benue, Plateau, and beyond.”
He also defended the Senate’s recent vote on the Rivers State emergency declaration, explaining that procedural rules during closed sessions (Senate Standing Orders 131, 132, and 134) prevented further public deliberation during plenary.
Related News:
- Previous Benue State attacks analysis
- Guide to community policing models in Nigeria
- Open Grazing Prohibition & Ranches Law overview
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