By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
At least 200 people, most of them displaced by previous violence, were burnt alive or slaughtered in their sleep during a coordinated midnight attack on Yelewata, a border community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
Residents said the attackers, suspected to be heavily armed herdsmen, stormed the town from two directions – east and west – shortly before midnight on Friday and continuing into Saturday morning, setting fire to makeshift shelters and market stalls where displaced persons had taken refuge.
Survivors and local leaders described the carnage as “planned,” “systematic,” and “ethnic cleansing in slow motion.”
“This was not random. They came prepared to annihilate,” said a community leader who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.
“They burnt people alive – entire families – husbands, wives, children. Some had fled other attacks only to be murdered here,” he said.
Multiple sources also confirm that the attackers poured petrol on roadside stalls and shelters before setting them ablaze.
The victims included IDPs from communities like Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, Udei, and Giza, who had relocated to Yelewata believing it to be safer due to the presence of security checkpoints nearby.
“Sadly, no soldiers came out to defend us,” the community leader added. “We even had a family of 15 wiped out. Children had their throats slit. Toddlers killed like animals. This is heartbreaking.”
Chief Dennis Denen Gbongbon, a prominent farmers leader in the area, confirmed that the majority of the dead were Tiv farmers and displaced persons.
“These people were already living on the edge. Now they are ashes. I’ve seen the bodies. Many burnt beyond recognition,” he said.
Eyewitnesses described a two-hour siege that overwhelmed local youth and police forces trying to mount a resistance.
“They came in two groups. While we tried to stop those from the west, another group came from the east and overran us,” said another resident.
The same night, a separate attack was reported in Daudu, about 20 minutes drive from Makurdi where witnesses said armed herders ambushed military personnel responding to an invasion threat and two soldiers were reportedly killed, including a senior officer.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, Chief Joseph Har, confirmed both incidents to journalists but said full details were still being gathered.
“It’s true. I’m aware of the attacks in Yelewata and Daudu. But I’m not on the ground to give the complete picture yet,” he told journalists.
Benue Police spokesperson DSP Udeme Edet also confirmed the Yelewata attack, saying tactical teams were deployed and some attackers were neutralised.
“Unfortunately, lives were lost. We are still pursuing the perpetrators,” she stated on the police media WhatsApp platform.
