At least 100 people have been killed in a northcentral Nigerian town following an overnight attack by gunmen, as Amnesty International called for the government to end the “almost daily bloodshed in Benue state”.
But Tersoo Kula, a spokesperson for the state governor’s office, told the AFP news agency earlier on Saturday that government officials and police officials who visited Yelwata “confirmed” a lower death toll of 45.
The deadly attack took place in the early hours of Saturday.
Daily Trust correspondent reports that in a separate incident, two soldiers were killed in Daudu, another rural town in Guma LGA.
The latest attack marks the third assault on Yelewata in one week, a rural town, located on the Benue – Nasarawa border while Daudu lies about 20 minutes’ drive from Makurdi, the state capital.
Witnesses told Daily Trust correspondent on telephone that the attackers arrived Yelewata just before midnight and laid siege to the community for over two hours, wreaking havoc with little or no resistance from security operatives.
“In previous attacks, some courageous local youths managed to repel them. But this time, the attackers came in large numbers with sophisticated weapons and completely overpowered the community,” a local source said.
A Guma local government staff who preferred anonymity, said the massacre could best be described as an annihilation of a race, “because this is certainly a plan to wipe out an ethnic group.”
He said over 100 dead bodies had been recovered with many families burnt beyond recognition.
“Majority of the victims are IDPs who take shelters in market stalls and shops along the road. These evil bandits poured petrol before setting fire on the shelters, burnt them in their sleep. They broke into other people’s homes and hacked them to death with cutlasses.
“Some of the victims are between 10 and 15 family members. Over 40 were rushed to hospital and 20 already died on the way. I’m afraid the death toll may rise to 200,” he added.
Chief Dennis Denen Gbongbon, President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley (AUFBV), said, “At about 2am today, there was a very disturbing security incident involving Tiv farmers in the Yelewata community of Guma LGA. Suspected Lakurawa bandits, believed to be herders, attacked the area, killing over 62 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and farmers. Several homes were also burned, and entire families wiped out in ways that defy imagination.
“The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue. Many victims were burnt alive inside stores. I am currently on the ground, and from what I have seen, about 85 percent of the victims are IDPs who had earlier fled from communities such as Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, and Giza, seeking refuge in various stores around the Yelewata market and nearby residences. Many have also been hospitalised.
“These IDPs are still farmers by livelihood. They were only in Yelewata to find safety. While it is important to distinguish between IDPs and resident farmers, doing so helps to understand the worsening reality these farmers face. Even after fleeing from their ancestral homes to seek refuge in IDP camps, terror continues to follow them without pause.”
Similarly, Amnesty International, in a report published by Al Jazeera, said at least 100 people have been killed in a northcentral Nigerian town following an overnight attack by gunmen, calling on the government to end the “almost daily bloodshed in Benue state
“Amnesty International has been documenting the alarming escalation of attacks across Benue state where gunmen have been on a killing spree with utter impunity. These attacks have been causing massive displacement and may affect food security as majority of the victims are farmers,” the rights group wrote on X.
“The Nigerian authorities’ failure to stem the violence is costing people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action many more lives may be lost,” the organisation said, adding that many people were still missing from the attack.
But Tersoo Kula, a spokesperson for the state governor’s office, told the AFP news agency earlier on Saturday that the attack lasted about two hours and a “number of houses [were] burnt down”.
He added that government officials and police officers had visited Yelwata and “confirmed” a lower death toll of 45.
Police spokesperson Udeme Edet confirmed the attack to AFP and said police had engaged the attackers in a gunfight.
In the region, attacks are common as local herders, mostly Muslim ethnic Fulani, and farmers, many of whom are Christian, clash over the limited access to land and water.
Daily Trust and Al Jazeera
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