Latest news with #YelewataAttack
News24
20 hours ago
- Politics
- News24
Nigeria's central region grapples with recurring violence
Recurring deadly clashes between Fulani herders and Christian farmers plague Nigeria's Benue state over land and resources. Massacres, like the Yelewata attack, highlight premeditated violence and displacement fears amid failed security measures. Government efforts, including security deployment and peace committees, lack effectiveness, requiring political and communal resolutions. For several months, Nigeria's central state of Benue state has been the scene of a series of deadly attacks pitting Muslim Fulani herders against mainly Christian farmers. On Friday, gunmen killed more than 100 villagers in an overnight attack in Benue's Yelewata village, where the assailants also set houses ablaze. The killings are the latest in Nigeria's north-central region, which has seen a surge in violence amid clashes between Muslim Fulani herders and mostly Christian farmers competing for land and resources. Benue and nearby Plateau state are located on the dividing line between Nigeria's mostly Muslim north and predominantly Christian south, which have historically been a flashpoint for intercommunal violence. In the face of the latest massacre, Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday visited Benue, the first presidential visit forced by violence, according to the state governor. Here is what we know about the violence. What is happening? Benue State, in central Nigeria, is regularly targeted by deadly attacks attributed to armed men, presumed to be Fulani herders. The raids are typically staged at night. Amnesty International has tallied 6 896 people killed over the last two years in the state. Since January, several localities - including Yelewata, Gwer West and Ankpali - have been targeted, leaving hundreds dead. The latest attack prompted strong reactions, including street protests that police put down using teargas. "This crisis has gone on too long," said George Akume, a former Benue state governor and a current Nigerian government secretary. READ | 'It is insulting': Nigerian president's pardon of 'Ogoni Nine' draws ethnic group's rejection "No one deserves to live in fear or uncertainty in their own homeland. This really hurts." Pope Leo XIV condemned the killings as a "terrible massacre" in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with "extreme cruelty". Yelewata community leader David Tarbo said the local communities are traumatised and have lost confidence in the security forces. He told AFP: People are afraid. The security on the ground no longer inspires confidence. Many have fled, and only a few remain. Some families fleeing recurring attacks in the region arrived in Yelewata on the night of the assault seeking refuge, only to be killed shortly afterwards, he said. What triggers the violence Two weeks earlier, at least 25 people were bludgeoned to death in attacks in separate raids on two villages in the state. Benue, one of Nigeria's biggest food-producing states, is located in the so-called Middle Belt, a religiously mixed region where such disputes often take on a sectarian and ethnic dimension. Elif Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images Moreover, the impact of climate change and human expansion is pushing herders away from the northwestern and northeastern regions toward the north-central zone, sparking deadly competition for increasingly limited space. Benue state governor Hyacinth Alia told Tinubu on Wednesday that the attacks appeared premeditated. The attacks have "persisted for well over a decade," he said, causing locals to believe that it is a "calculated attempt targeted at annihilating us, taking over our ancestral homes". What is the government doing to curb the violence? Tinubu has directed security forces to act decisively, arrest perpetrators, and prosecute them. During his visit to Benue, he also recommended setting up a peace committee comprising traditional chiefs. However, residents and analysts say that past deployments of security forces have done little to quell the resurgence of violence. Security analyst Timothy Avele said: It has become clear that the security agencies and the military will not be able to do it alone. Mark Gbillah, a former House of Representative member of Benue State, said attackers have not encountered any resistance, 'so they are being emboldened' to continue killing. He suggested more security forces deployments, 'and most importantly, the governor needs to now make sure the people can defend themselves'. However, Tinubu and the chief of defence staff, Christopher Musa, have suggested that military intervention alone cannot solve the recurring violence. "Most of it is a political solution that needs to come into it because it is not what the military can solve," Musa said in Makurdi.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
100 die, 6,500 displaced for di afta effects of Benue attack - wetin Pope Leo tell Nigeria goment
Di National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) for Nigeria don release dia first report about di recent attack wey happun for Yelewata community, for Guma Local goment Area of Benue State, North central Nigeria. Dis recent attacks, according to Nema bin happun for di early hours of Saturday, 14 June, 2025. Nema say dia early investigation show say more dan 100 pipo kpai for di attack including two sojas and one officer of di Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). Di number of pipo wey die fit still go up as di agency say di current figures still dey inconsistent sake of di volatile security situation and limited access to di affected areas. "Dozens of pipo sustain injuries, and 46 individuals bin dey rushed to hospitals. Sadly, 20 of dem later die for hospital sake of di injuries wey dem sustain," di Nema statement read. Di agency also say police bin kill some of di attackers as dem dey exchange gunfire, but dem no talk how many of di attackers wey police kill. As e be now, more dan 6,527 pipo don run comot for dia house and dem dey take shelter for Internally Displaced People Camps. Dis include "1,768 females; 759 males; 657 children under 18 years; 1,870 adults above 18; 252 lactating mothers; 82 pregnant women; and 91 elderly persons". According to Nema, hospitals for Makurdi dey call for urgent blood donations for di pipo wey wunjure for di attack, and also for humanitarian support for di pipo wey dey IDP camps. Also, di head of di Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, don chook mouth for di killings wey dey go on for Benue State - e describe di situation as a "terrible massacre". Pope Leo tok dis one for im Sunday Angelus wit di Catholic faithful for di St Peter's Basilica, and e pray for "security, justice, and peace". E say: "On di night of 13/14 of June, for town of Yelwata for di Guma Local Goment Area of Benue State in Nigeria, a terrible massacre bin happen wia more dan 200 pipo bin dey killed in a cruel manner. Most of dem na Internally Displaced Persons hosted by di local Catholic mission. "I pray say peace, security, and justice go prevail for Nigeria, a beloved kontri wey dey affected by various forms of violence." Remember say di late Pope Francis bin pray regularly for security and peace to reign for Nigeria. Di first time na on 15 August 2020, afta di Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria release a statement about di rising insecurity for northern Nigeria. Di second one na for June 2022 afta gunmen attack one Catholic Church for Owo, Ondo State and kpai plenty pipo including children. Goment to set up panel to investigate Di govnor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, tell tori pipo on Sunday say dem go set up a five-man panel wey go chook eye into dis crisis and come up wit a white paper wey di goment go implement. "Dis white paper go help us to know who be di culprits, to know who be di sponsors, to identify di victims, and to see wia justice go dey applied," di govnor tok. BBC Pidgin bin don report accounts of pipo wey bin dey affected for previous attacks we happen for Benue State dis year, including di tori of one woman who say di jaguda pipo bin rape her eight times bifore day break, and anoda pesin wey lose six members of im family. For previous interview wit Channels TV, govnor Hyacinth Alia say im no believe say di attacks na farmers and herdsmen wahala. E say di killers dey specialised and dem dey fight like pipo wey dey trained for guerrilla war. "Di way dis attacks come and di intel we receive, na direct and calibrated plan and dem go execute am. Evriday, we dey receive dis intel. Of late, each of di intel we receive, 60 to 65 per cent of dem dey quite accurate. "And den wen you realise wetin dey go on, e dey beyond just conflict, e dey beyond just ethnic fight between herders and farmers for our state, e dey directed, e dey planned and den, dem go execute am, na terrorism." On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu call on di govnor and oda political and community leaders for Benue State to "act responsibly and avoid statements wey fit further increase tensions and killings".
