A devastating attack by suspected herdsmen militia on Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State has left over 200 people dead, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), women, and children. The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Saturday, also saw houses and properties burnt beyond imagination.

According to eyewitnesses, the attackers stormed the community around 11 pm on Friday, shooting indiscriminately and overpowering the youths and police personnel who tried to resist them. “It started last night at about 11 pm when Fulani terrorists came from the Western part of Yelwata and started shooting,” said Matthew Mnyan, a community leader in Yelwata and former acting Chairman of Benue SUBEB.

Mnyan added that the attackers poured petrol on stalls in the market and burnt them, killing people who had taken refuge there. “In those stalls, we had people who moved from places like Branch Udei and people displaced from nearby villages, who sleep in the stalls because of the nearness of the Police and Soldiers there. And we learnt no soldier came out to defend the people,” he said.

The death toll is expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continue. “As of now, from the names they are putting together, and families that were burnt and killed are running to over 200 now,” Mnyan said. Chief Dennis Gbongbon, President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley (AUFBV), corroborated the attack, stating that suspected Lakurawa bandits and allegedly herders killed over 62 IDPs and farmers, burning houses with families beyond imagination.

Gbongbon said, “Today about 2 am, we had a very disturbing security threat to Tiv farmers in Yelwata community of Guma LGA. The dead toll shall rise as search and rescue mission is on. Many were burnt in stores where they were sleeping.” He added that 85% of the victims were IDPs who ran from Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, and Giza areas, seeking refuge in Yelwata market and residences.

In a separate attack in Daudu, five soldiers were killed, including one of the rank of Captain. The attackers reportedly camped close to Daudu with over 200 terrorists. Mnyan lamented that the attack was planned and coordinated, with the aim of taking over Benue State. “Everybody is aware that the people want to take over Benue state. There are no two ways about it. They only want to grab the land,” he said.

The Benue State Police Command confirmed the attack, with the Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, stating that security operatives engaged the attackers in a fierce exchange, killing some of them. “But it’s with great sadness that we report that some individuals lost their lives and others sustained injuries,” Edet said, pledging the command’s commitment to keeping everyone safe.