Abuja: Gunmen, suspected to be armed herders, stormed Yelewata and Daudu communities in central Nigeria’s Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State late on Friday, June 13, opening fire and setting homes ablaze. At least 100 people, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and five security personnel, were reportedly killed, while many remain missing.
According to Global Voices, the residents were said to have received advance warnings of impending attacks by the marauding fighters.
Despite repeated military operations in Nigeria’s North Central region, these attacks have persisted, fueling a humanitarian crisis and widespread insecurity. The Nigerian police confirmed the attack on Yelewata and Daudu, though officials have yet to release the final casualty figures. In a video posted on YouTube following the massacre, police said they were working to restore peace in the region. The same video, however, showed officers firing tear gas at protesters demanding justice and accountability for the Benue killings. These recurring attacks have led to mass displacement, with many residents forced into IDP camps across the state. Benue, often referred to as the food basket of the nation, is seeing its critical agricultural productivity plummet under the weight of violence.
A recent study found that every 1 percent uptick in violence corresponds to a 0.21 percent decline in crop production and a 0.31 percent decline in livestock output. The humanitarian cost is not only eroding livelihoods but also deepening food insecurity across Nigeria.
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the assault, calling it an unnecessary bloodbath. In a statement shared on X, he said that emergency teams had been dispatched to assist the victims.
Meanwhile, Nigerian social media has erupted in anger and grief. Many Nigerians have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to decry what they describe as the federal government’s muted response to one of the deadliest massacres in recent years. Former Nigerian Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has also called for stronger community policing and swift accountability.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV offered prayers for the victims of what he described as a terrible massacre in Benue State, Nigeria. Speaking during his Sunday Angelus prayer, the pontiff said most of the victims were internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had sought shelter at a local Catholic mission in the area, making the attack even more horrifying.
“I am praying for security, justice, and peace in Nigeria,” Pope Leo said from St. Peters Square.
With the recent Benue killings reflecting a devastating pattern of unresolved tensions and the state’s inability to protect its most vulnerable citizens, what’s at stake for Nigeria is not just peace, but the very idea of a shared future.