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BBC News
18-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Wetin to expect from President Tinubu visit to Benue state
Nigeria President Bola Tinubu dey expected to arrive Benue state, north-central Nigeria on Wednesday to condole wit pipo of di state afta one deadly attack wey lead to di death ova 100 pipo for Yelewata community for Guma Local Government Area of di state. Di visit dey come for di middle of growing concerns as Nigerians dey worry say security for di region dey worsen. Di presidency for one statement on Monday, 16 June confam say di president Tinubu go "clear im schedule and visit Benue state as part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address di persistent conflict affecting communities for di state." Benue state goment for statement say dem ready gidigba to receive di president as di "visit no only represent a moment of national empathy, but na rare opportunity to directly follow di Presidency tok on urgent security interventions dem need to end di persistent killings and displacement of our pipo". Wetin Tinubu go do for Benue state during im visit Na for di midnight and early morning of Saturday, 14 June, suspected criminal herdsmen according to di state govnor Hyacinth Alia bin attack di community wey lead to di death of more dan 100 pipo die. Di National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) tok 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. However, e dey expected say di President during im visit go assess first-hand di recurring crisis wey don claim many lives and cause significant destruction. During im stay, President Tinubu go meet wit all stakeholders—including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups—to find lasting solutions to di hostilities. E go also hold town hall meeting wit all stakeholders during di visit. In preparation for di visit, President Tinubu don already dispatch di Secretary to di Government of di Federation, di Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, di National Security Adviser, plus di Chairmen of di Senate and House Defence Committees go Benue State. SGF, Security Chiefs dey Benue to end killings Ahead of di president visit, di Secretary to di Government of di Federation George Akume wey come from Benue land di state on Tuesday, 17 June. E say im visit di sites of di attacks, meet wit survivors who express dia pains." Di pain dey raw, di sorrow dey deep," Di SGF tok. "For di Market IDP camp, I meet families wey still dey suffer from di loss — displaced, grieving, and living in difficult conditions. Dia resilience moveme deeply. Dis crisis done go on for too long. No one deserve to live in fear or uncertainty for dia own homeland. Dis really hurt". Oga Akume add. Di SGF assure say im no go abandon im own. "I go stand wit you- and we no go rest till our communities dey secure & peace return to our lands," e add. Also, di Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and di Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa bin rush go Yelewata community on Monday to see tins for diasef. Di IGP describe di attack as "senseless and an act of terrorism", and e promise say di Nigeria Police Force do dia best to bring di attackers to justice. Also, di CDS assure di pipo say dis go be di last attack wey go happen for dia community. "We want make dis one be di last one wey go happen. We go go all out to ensure say we address am. We don put measures for oda places and e bin work, so here no go dey different," e tok. "I wan assure Nigerians say no be only Benue State, all ova di kontri, we dey determined, based on di mandate of Mr President, to make sure say we restore peace and tranquillity inside our country, but we need Nigerians to support us."
Arabian Post
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Arabian Post
Benue Community Devastated as Over 100 Massacred
An assault on Yelewata village in Guma local government area of Benue State has left more than 100 inhabitants dead, dozens missing and hundreds wounded, with authorities scrambling to respond. The attack, which began late on Friday and extended into Saturday's early hours, bore the hallmarks of deliberate and coordinated violence. Eyewitnesses and first responders described scenes of horror: armed assailants forcibly confined residents inside their homes before setting them ablaze. Burned remains were found throughout the community, with many victims incinerated beyond recognition. Medical services remain overwhelmed, as the injured fight for survival in makeshift conditions. Authorities in Benue State swiftly dispatched security and emergency teams to the afflicted area. The police confirmed the event but have yet to release an official death toll. The state governor, Hyacinth Alia, has facilitated support for survivors and mobilised relief for displaced families. Meanwhile, the Association of United Farmers reported that over 100 lives were lost and more than 100 individuals remain critically injured at Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi. ADVERTISEMENT While no group has claimed responsibility, the incident closely resembles earlier violent episodes in this region rooted in conflict between primarily Fulani herders and local farming communities. Clashes over land rights, grazing routes and access to water have escalated markedly in recent years. Amnesty International Nigeria detailed this specific attack, noting it occurred in Guma LGA and involved forced confinement and immolation of entire families. Historical context lends sombre perspective. Since 2019, the herder-farmer feud across Nigeria's Middle Belt has resulted in over 500 fatalities and forced more than 2.2 million people from their homes. Notably, April's bloodshed in neighbouring Plateau State claimed around 40 lives, while a May assault on Gwer West district resulted in at least 20 fatalities. The hostilities stem from a complex web of environmental pressures and historical land-use policies. Fulani herders assert rights to traditional grazing corridors dating from 1965, but expanding agricultural boundaries and intensifying drought have strained those arrangements. A recent academic report on insecurity's economic toll in Benue confirms a downturn in both crop and livestock yields tied to violent incidents, noting a drop in productivity of 0.21% for crops and 0.31% for livestock for every percent rise in insecurity. Public outrage has mounted in the wake of the Yelewata massacre. Local vigilantes and youth groups staged protests in Makurdi and elsewhere, denouncing what they call a 'killing spree' and calling for robust government action. Prominent farmers' associations demanded reinforced security deployments, enhancements to local policing frameworks and the institution of grazing reserves to forestall future bloodshed. Security experts urge the federal and state governments to adopt a multipronged strategy: rapid deployment of well-trained security personnel, improved intelligence capacity, legal regulation of grazing corridors, and community engagement efforts aimed at defusing ethnic tensions. Analysts warn that without a swift, systemic approach, the region risks sliding into deeper cycles of retaliation and displacement. Amid the crisis, humanitarian organisations are racing to assist survivors. The lack of basic amenities—clean water, shelter, trauma counselling—compounds the agony of victims. Medical staff at Makurdi's teaching hospital have issued urgent calls for blood donations; the capacity to treat is nearing collapse. This tragedy underscores longstanding vulnerabilities that have frustrated Nigeria's authorities. As the death toll from attacks like these continues to mount, expectations are rising that local and national leaders will strengthen the rule of law, protect civilian lives, and address the structural roots of violence in the Middle Belt.
Arab News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Police break up Nigeria protest as anger mounts over killings in southern state
JOS, Nigeria: Police fired tear gas to disperse protesters in the central city of Makurdi on Sunday, as anger mounted over the killing of dozens of people by gunmen in a nearby town. Gunmen attacked the village of Yelewata on Friday night in a region that has seen a surge in violence amid clashes between Muslim Fulani herders and mostly Christian farmers competing for land and resources. Police fired tear gas to break up a protest by thousands of people, witnesses said, as demonstrators called on the state's governor to act swiftly to halt the cycle of violence. 'The protesters were given specific time by the security to make their peaceful protest and disperse,' Tersoo Kula, spokesperson for Benue state's governor, told AFP. John Shiaondo, a local journalist, said he was covering the 'peaceful protest' when the police moved in and started firing tear gas. 'Many people ran away for fear of injuries, and I also left the scene for my safety,' he told AFP. Joseph Hir, who took part in the protest, said people were protesting the killings in Benue when the police intervened. 'We are not abusing anyone, we are also not tampering with anybody's property, we are discharging our rights to peacefully protest the unabated killings of our people, and now the police are shooting tear gas at us,' he told AFP. Benue state governor Hyacinth Alia told a news conference late Sunday that the death toll had reached 59 in Yelewata, though residents said the toll could exceed 100. 'We will move very quickly to set up a five-man panel... to enable us find out who the culprits are, to know who the sponsors are and to identify the victims and to see how justice will be applied,' Alia said. Amnesty International put the death toll at more than 100. The rights group called the attack 'horrifying,' saying it 'shows the security measures (the) government claims to be implementing in the state are not working.' Pope Leo XIV also condemned the killings, in comments during his Sunday prayer in Rome, calling it a 'terrible massacre' in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with 'extreme cruelty.' He said 'rural Christian communities' in Benue were victims of incessant violence. Authorities typically blame such attacks on Fulani herders but the latter say they are targets of violence and land seizures too. Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said in a statement Sunday night he had 'directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them. 'Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings,' he said. Governor Alia said earlier that 'tactical teams had begun arriving from the federal government and security reinforcements are being deployed in vulnerable areas.' 'The state's joint operational units are also being reinforced, and the government will not let up its efforts to defend the lives and property of all residents,' he said. Attacks in the region, part of what is known as the central belt of Nigeria, are often motivated by religious or ethnic differences. Two weeks ago, gunmen killed 25 people in two attacks in Benue state. More than 150 people were killed in massacres across Plateau and Benue states in April.
Muscat Daily
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Muscat Daily
Nigeria: Gunmen kill at least 100 in Benue state
Abuja, Nigeria – Gunmen killed at least 100 people in the Yelewata village in Nigeria's Benue state late on Friday, Amnesty International Nigeria said. 'Many people are still missing…dozens injured and left without adequate medical care. Many families were locked up and burnt inside their bedrooms,' the human rights organisation said in a social media post. Police spokesperson Udeme Edet from Benue confirmed the attack but did not specify the death toll. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the attack. Governor of Benue state Hyacinth Alia sent a delegation to Yelewata to provide support to the relatives of the victims. Visuals circulated on social media showed burnt houses and corpses. Violence in the Middle Belt Benue state lies in Nigeria's Middle Belt, in the centre of the Muslim-majority north and the Christian-majority south. The region often sees violence over access to land and water resources between farmers and herders, worsened by ethnic and religious tensions. Violence in the region has claimed 500 lives since 2019, and displaced thousands of others, as per data by Nigerian geopolitical research consultancy SBM Intelligence. Last month, gunmen believed to be herders killed at least 20 in the Gwer West district in Benue. In April, 40 were killed in in the nearby state of Plateau. DW
BBC News
15-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Many die for fresh herdsmen attack for Benue state
Fresh violent attack don lead to di death of many villagers for Benue State, North central Nigeria. Di attack happun for Yelwata, a Benue border town with Nasarawa state wia suspected armed herdsmen attack di pipo on Friday night. Authorities don confam di incident. Benue state Govnor Hyacinth Alia condemn di attacks and killing of innocent citizens for Yelewata say ''nobody get right to take anoda pesin life'' Officials say at least 45 pipo die during di overnight attack for central Nigeria. Eyewitnesses say na armed cattle herdsmen carry out di attack and police say dem engage di attackers for gun battle. Dem burn down many houses for di raid on Yelewata town. On Sunday youths enta street to protest di killings wey no be like say e go stop. The protesters gather for di Wurukum area of Makurdi, the state capital wit placards to demand goment protection from di herdmen. Clashes between herders and settled farmers dey common for central Nigeria. Part of di reason for di fight-fight na sake of competition ova land. ''In di spirit of peace and unity, we dey call on religious, traditional, and political leaders across di state to sensitize and guide di youths wey dey under dia influence against unlawful gatherings or confrontations wey fit go out of control''. Govnor Alia tok Two days ago, 25 pipo bin die wen gunmen attack Makurdi di state capital. Two weeks ago, gunmen bin kill 25 pipo for two attacks, also for Benue state. Govnor Alia beg citizens to use of official communication channels to report any suspicious activities and to stay informed through credible sources. ''Benue State dey committed to justice, peace, and security for all''. Govnor Alia add.
