Benue Massacre: Over 200 Killed in Coordinated Attacks by Suspected Herders on Yelewata, Daudu Communities
By peterside Rejoice Eneky
Benue State has once again been thrown into mourning following the brutal killing of over 200 persons including women, children, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and security personnel in a coordinated attack by suspected terrorist herders on Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area.
The attacks, which reportedly occurred late Thursday night, left dozens more injured and homes razed, with entire families burned alive in what locals have described as a well-organised onslaught aimed at displacing the native population.
According to local sources, the assailants launched simultaneous strikes on Yelewata from both eastern and western axes around 11pm. Youths and police officers attempted to resist the invasion but were quickly overwhelmed by the armed herders who then turned their weapons on helpless residents including IDPs taking refuge in market stalls.
It was a coordinated slaughter, said Mr. Matthew Mnyan, a community leader and former acting Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). Some came from the east, others from the west. They killed, poured petrol and set stalls and houses ablaze, killing everyone inside including toddlers.
Mnyan noted that many of the victims were displaced persons who had earlier fled from other troubled areas like Branch Udei. These people thought they were safe. Some entire families, father, two wives, children, were burned alive. A family of 15 was wiped out. Some families are gone completely, he said, fighting back tears.
Simultaneously, another group of attackers descended on Daudu community where they encountered stiff resistance from security operatives and local vigilantes. Despite the pushback, the invaders managed to kill at least five security personnel including a military officer reportedly of the rank of Captain.
Chief Dennis Gbongbon, President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley, described the attack as genocide against Tiv farmers. Over 85 percent of the victims are IDPs and farmers. Even in displacement, terror still hunts them down. Over 62 people were burned in market stalls, he said, adding that the death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue.
He blamed Lakurawa bandits for the massacre and accused them of executing a long-standing plan to take over farmlands in Benue. We have seen this before. Now they’re farming on land seized from locals and no one is allowed to return. This is not just violence, it’s calculated land grabbing, he said.
The Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Internal Security, Chief Joseph Har, confirmed the attacks but said he could not provide exact casualty figures. A military source also confirmed the death of two soldiers during the assault.
The Benue State Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer DSP Udeme Edet, issued a statement acknowledging the incident but refrained from releasing official figures. Our tactical teams responded swiftly and some of the attackers were neutralized. Sadly, lives were lost and others injured, the statement read.
As the community begins to count its dead, fears grow over more coordinated attacks in the region. Locals claim that intelligence reports from Nasarawa State had warned of impending violence targeting not only Yelewata and Daudu but also Ukoho, Ortese and Yogbo communities.
Meanwhile, tension remains high as families continue to search for missing loved ones and mass graves are being prepared for victims too charred to be identified.
