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16-06-2025
ABUJA: 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 social media.
“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 organization said, adding that many people were still missing from the attack.
Tersoo Kula, a spokesperson for the state governor’s office, told media 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 media and said police had engaged the attackers in a gunfight but locals told media 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.
On 9th May, at least 30 people were killed when gunmen attacked travelers in Nigeria’s southeastern Imo State, according to Amnesty International.
The human rights NGO reported on Friday that more than 20 commuter vehicles and trucks were set ablaze during a “vicious attack” along the Okigwe-Owerri road the day before. The attackers are suspected of being members of the banned separatist group, Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Amnesty said.
“The attack … shows callous disregard for the sanctity of life. The gunmen blocked Okigwe-Owerri highway and areas of Umuna in Onuimo LGA unleashed violence in an utter show of impunity,” Amnesty wrote on social media.
“The Nigerian authorities must immediately and transparently investigate this attack and ensure that the actual perpetrators are brought to justice. International law requires the Nigerian government to promptly investigate unlawful killings to bring perpetrators to justice,” it added.
Imo police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, confirmed that the attack took place in the early hours of Thursday, but declined to comment on the death toll.
On Friday, Okoye told media that one of the assailants had been killed by the police.
According to a police statement, the gunmen, operating in three groups, blocked the highway at 04:00 GMT and shot sporadically.
“A full-scale search and cordon operation is currently underway, with security operatives combing nearby forests and surrounding areas where the suspects are believed to be hiding,” the police said. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
