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The Independent
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Death toll from an attack by gunmen in north-central Nigeria reaches 150, survivors say
The death toll from an attack by gunmen over the weekend in north-central Nigeria has climbed to 150, survivors said Monday as the villagers were still digging through burned homes, counting their dead and looking for dozens of people still missing. Assailants stormed Benue state's Yelewata community late on Friday night, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killings, but such attacks are common in Nigeria's northern region where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water. The prolonged conflict has become deadlier in recent years, with authorities and analysts warning that more herdsmen are taking up arms. The farmers accuse the herders, mostly of Fulani origin, of grazing their livestock on their farms and destroying their produce. The herders insist that the lands are grazing routes that were first backed by law in 1965, five years after the country gained its independence. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, whose government has fallen short of expectations in ending the country's deadly security crises, described the Benue attack as 'senseless bloodletting' while his office said he would visit the stricken community on Wednesday. Titus Tsegba, who lost his wife and four of his children in the attack, said more than 20 bodies were recovered on Monday. The initial death toll was reported to be 100 on Saturday. His wife and children — the youngest 8 and the oldest 27 — were 'burned into ashes beyond recognition,' he told The Associated Press, adding that he survived because he was sleeping in another part of the community. "Everything is gone,' he said. Benue Deputy Gov. Sam Ode said he suspected the perpetrators were herdsmen. Ode and the survivors spoke to the AP by phone. The gunmen made it difficult for many to flee after surrounding the Yelewata community, which is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the state capital of Makurdi, said Jacob Psokaa, who lost his 55-year-old father in the attack. 'They were coming from different sides at the same moment … it was sporadic shooting,' Psokaa said. 'The situation is very bad now with many people in the ground … your people leaving you suddenly.' The gunmen also burned food stores in the local market, razing a year's harvest that included rice and yam, staple food mainly exported from Benue to other parts of Nigeria. 'Enough is enough!' said Tinubu, the president. 'I have directed the security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict, and prosecute them.'
Associated Press
14 hours ago
- Associated Press
Death toll from an attack by gunmen in north-central Nigeria reaches 150, survivors say
DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — The death toll from an attack by gunmen in north-central Nigeria over the weekend has climbed to 150, survivors said Monday. Villagers were still digging through burned structures, counting their dead and looking for the dozens still missing. The previous death toll stood at 100. Assailants stormed Benue state's Yelewata community late on Friday night, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killings, but such attacks are common in Nigeria's northern region where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water. The farmers accuse the herders, mostly of Fulani origin, of grazing their livestock on their farms and destroying their produce. The herders insist that the lands are grazing routes that were first backed by law in 1965, five years after the country gained its independence.
Al Jazeera
2 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
At least 100 people killed in gunmen attack in Nigeria: Rights group
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'. The attack, which occurred from late Friday into Saturday morning, took place in Yelwata, a town in Benue State, according to Amnesty. '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 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 officials 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. But locals told AFP that they feared that more than 100 people had been killed in the attack. 'It is terribly bad, many people have died,' Amineh Liapha Hir, a resident of the town, said. 'It could be more than 100, and many houses were also burnt,' Hir added. Another resident, Christian Msuega, said he escaped the attack, but his sister and brother-in-law had died after being burned alive. 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. Last month, gunmen who were believed to be herders killed at least 20 people in the Gwer West area of Benue.
