Many Feared Dead, Security Operatives Killed in Fresh Attack on Benue Community
A late-night assault by suspected armed herdsmen on Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State has left many dead, with at least 16 people injured and three security operatives killed in a related ambush.
The attack occurred around 10:00 p.m. on Friday, June 13, when dozens of gunmen reportedly stormed the community, shooting indiscriminately and forcing residents to flee into the bush for safety. Several homes were also set ablaze during the raid.
According to the Guma Local Government Chairman, Maurice Orwough, more than 26 injured persons are receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi, while the exact number of casualties remains unknown.
Some local accounts, however, suggest that over 50 lives may have been lost.
Prior to the Yelewata attack, the gunmen had attempted to invade nearby Daudu community but were repelled by military forces. As the troops responded to a distress call from Yelewata, they were ambushed along the way.
In the ambush, two soldiers and one Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officer were killed. The convoy was en route to support the small military outpost stationed in Yelewata, which had only four soldiers on duty at the time of the invasion.
“The attackers came in their numbers—over a hundred—and unfortunately overwhelmed the few soldiers stationed there,” Orwough said.
Urgent calls for blood donations were made early Saturday morning, as hospitals struggled to cope with the influx of wounded victims.
The Benue State Police Command has yet to release an official statement on the incident.
Yelewata is the latest of several communities in Benue State to suffer violent attacks linked to the long-running farmer-herder conflict in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region.
Similar assaults have been reported in Logo, Kwande, Ukum, and Agatu Local Government Areas in recent weeks.
Community leaders and humanitarian organizations are now appealing to the federal government to deploy more troops and intelligence assets to the region to prevent further bloodshed.
