MAKURDI, Nigeria – June 16, 2025 – The air in Yelwata, a small border town in Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, Nigeria, is thick with grief and the acrid smell of burnt homes. On the night of June 13–14, 2025, suspected armed herders unleashed a massacre that left over 200 people dead, according to local estimates, marking one of the deadliest attacks in Benue’s history of violence.
Simultaneously, attackers struck Daudu, another community in Guma LGA, killing security personnel and residents in a coordinated assault that has plunged Benue State into mourning. The Benue killings of 2025 have ignited protests, drawn international condemnation, and renewed calls for urgent action to end Nigeria’s escalating farmer-herder conflict. This article pieces together the harrowing events, the human toll, and the desperate search for solutions in a region battered by relentless bloodshed.
A Night of Terror in Yelwata
It was just before 11 PM on June 13, 2025, when the first gunshots echoed through Yelwata, a rural community nestled near the Nasarawa State border. Residents, many of whom were asleep, were jolted awake by the sound of automatic weapons and screams.
Armed gunmen, suspected to be Fulani herders and possibly Lakurawa bandits, stormed the town in a calculated attack. “They came from the western part of Yelwata, shooting everywhere,” said Matthew Mnyan, a community leader and former acting Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, his voice trembling as he recounted the horror to journalists in Makurdi. “They poured fuel on houses and set them ablaze. Entire families were burned alive.”
The attackers targeted vulnerable groups, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had sought refuge in Yelwata after fleeing earlier violence in nearby Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, and Giza. Many IDPs were sheltered by a local Catholic mission near Yelwata Primary School, where a Nigerian Army detachment was stationed. Despite the military presence, the assailants overwhelmed local defenses, exploiting the element of surprise and their superior firepower.
Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen, numbering over 200, used AK-47s and other sophisticated weapons, mowing down residents and setting fire to homes, market stalls, and food storage facilities.
Chief Dennis Gbongbon, President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley, described the scene as “beyond imagination.” He told The Sun newspaper, “At about 2 AM, we had a very disturbing security threat. Suspected Lakurawa bandits and herders killed over 62 IDPs and farmers, burning houses with families inside.”
Other reports, including a statement from Pope Leo XIV during his Sunday Angelus prayer on June 15, estimated a death toll of around 200, with most victims being IDPs sheltered by the Catholic mission.
Pope Leo offers prayers for the victims of a devastating attack in Benue State, while President Tinubu vows to take a firm stance against the violence, saying “Enough is enough!” Meanwhile, protests by Benue youths over the killings are met with tear gas. pic.twitter.com/Ji0aeVHyNL
— Vucture News (@vucture_news) June 16, 2025
Amnesty International Nigeria confirmed at least 100 deaths, noting that “many families were locked up and burnt inside their bedrooms,” with dozens injured and others missing. The Benue State Police Command and Governor’s office reported a lower figure of 45–59 deaths, highlighting the chaotic aftermath and ongoing efforts to verify casualties.
Among the victims was Christian Msuega, a farmer who lost his wife and four children in the inferno. Speaking to The Will, Msuega wept as he described finding their charred remains in their home near Yelwata’s market. “They didn’t even have a chance to run,” he said. “My entire world is gone.” The attack, which lasted over two hours, destroyed grain reserves, boreholes, a health clinic, and a school, leaving survivors without food or shelter. The Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) has since evacuated hundreds of survivors to an emergency camp at Makurdi International Market, where they face dire conditions.
Daudu Under Siege: A Second Front
As Yelwata burned, a separate group of attackers struck Daudu, a community just 20 minutes from Makurdi, on the same night. The assault began around midnight, with gunmen attempting to overrun the town. Unlike Yelwata, Daudu’s residents and security personnel mounted a stronger resistance, leading to a fierce gun battle. Chief Joseph Har, Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Security and Internal Affairs, confirmed the dual attacks, stating, “This ugly thing happened yesterday in Yelwata and at the back of Daudu. They were two different attacks.”
The Daudu attack claimed the lives of five security personnel, including a captain, and several civilians. DSP Udeme Edet, spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, reported that tactical teams engaged the assailants, killing some in the process. “We have security everywhere now, even in Yelwata, there are tactical teams in the bush,” Edet told Punch. Despite the resistance, the attackers caused significant damage, burning homes and displacing residents. The coordinated nature of the Yelwata and Daudu attacks suggests a strategic plan, with one group possibly distracting security forces in Yelwata while another struck Daudu.
A Pattern of Violence: The Farmer-Herder Conflict
The Yelwata and Daudu massacres are the latest in a string of deadly attacks in Benue State, driven by Nigeria’s long-standing farmer-herder conflict. This crisis pits predominantly Christian Tiv farmers against mostly Muslim Fulani herders, fueled by competition over dwindling land and water resources.
Climate change, desertification in northern Nigeria, and population growth have pushed herders south into Benue’s fertile Middle Belt, sparking clashes over grazing routes and farmland. The International Crisis Group notes that these conflicts are exacerbated by the proliferation of arms and the emergence of new armed groups like Lakurawa, which blend criminality with ethnic tensions.
In Yelwata, community leaders alleged that attackers aimed to seize ancestral lands for grazing and farming. “They want to take over Benue State,” said Chief Gbongbon, pointing to reports of herders allocating seized land to themselves.
— Vucture News (@vucture_news) June 14, 2025
However, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Benue distanced itself from the killings, with state secretary Ibrahim Galma calling them “purely criminality” unrelated to legitimate herders. The violence has also taken on religious undertones, with attackers targeting Christian communities, as noted by Pope Leo XIV, who prayed for “rural Christian communities in Benue State, who have been unceasingly the victims of violence.”
Benue’s Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, enacted in 2017, aimed to curb these clashes by banning open grazing and requiring ranches. However, opposition from herder groups like Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore and weak enforcement have rendered the law ineffective.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, speaking on Channels Television on June 6, 2025, alleged that unnamed politicians were sponsoring the violence, particularly in the Sankera axis (Ukum, Logo, Katsina-Ala LGAs), to facilitate land grabbing. Chief Orkaa Kaave of Ter Ukum echoed this, claiming political elites were fueling insecurity for personal gain.
Humanitarian Fallout: A Deepening Crisis
The Benue killings have worsened an already dire humanitarian situation in the state, which hosts over 2.1 million IDPs. The Yelwata massacre alone displaced thousands, with survivors relocated to Makurdi’s emergency camp. Dr. James Iorpuu, SEMA’s Executive Secretary, described the evacuation as a “sorrowful moment,” noting collaboration with the UNHCR to provide food, water, and shelter. However, conditions in IDP camps remain abysmal, with overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, and limited medical care increasing risks of disease outbreaks. The destruction of grain reserves in Yelwata has heightened food insecurity, as rice, millet, and maize stores were burned alongside homes.
Survivors like Mary Tersoo, a mother of three, shared their anguish with Businessday NG. “We lost everything—our food, our home, our hope,” she said, clutching her children at the Makurdi camp. The loss of boreholes, a clinic, and a school in Yelwata has left the community without basic services, forcing survivors to rely on overstretched aid efforts. Amnesty International Nigeria highlighted the targeting of IDPs, stating, “The horrifying killing of over 100 people shows the failure to protect lives in Benue State.”
Outrage and Protests Across Benue
The Benue killings sparked immediate outrage, with hundreds of youths taking to the streets of Makurdi on June 15, 2025. Led by activist VeryDarkMan, protesters blocked major roads in Wurukum, wielding green leaves and placards with messages like “We are tired, we are helpless, we are broken.”
They demanded justice and an end to the bloodshed, accusing the government of failing to protect citizens. “Benue cannot continue like this,” one protester told Nigeria Info FM. The Benue APC chapter condemned the state’s response, criticizing the use of tear gas to disperse peaceful demonstrators as “heavy-handed and shameful.”
In Daudu, angry youths staged similar protests, decrying the government’s inability to secure their community despite the presence of security personnel. “The government has failed us,” said Joseph Aondowase, a protest organizer. “We buried our brothers and sisters, and still, no one is held accountable.” The protests underscore the growing frustration among Benue’s youth, who feel abandoned amid escalating violence.
Government and Security Response
Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the Yelwata and Daudu attacks as “senseless and inhumane,” vowing to bring perpetrators to justice. On June 15, 2025, he deployed additional tactical teams to Guma, Gwer West, Apa, and Agatu LGAs, where attacks have been frequent.
The Nigerian military launched air surveillance over Makurdi and its environs, with units stationed in Naka, Apa, Agatu, Daudu, and Yelwata. Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun took direct control of Benue’s security operations, deploying Special Forces to pursue the attackers. Police Commissioner Emenari Ifeanyi told Punch, “The IG has sent Special Forces who are already on the ground. They will go to where the bandits are and get them.”
Despite these measures, critics argue that the response is inadequate. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called for stronger federal intervention, stating, “The blood of Benue’s people demands more than promises.” The Benue State Police Command confirmed the attacks but struggled to verify the exact death toll, with DSP Udeme Edet noting, “We cannot say the exact number because we don’t have the details yet.” The military reported killing some assailants in Daudu, but the lack of arrests in Yelwata has fueled accusations of impunity.
International Condemnation and Calls for Action
The Benue killings have drawn global attention, with Pope Leo XIV offering prayers for the victims during his June 15, 2025, Angelus address. “On the night of the 13th/14th June, in Yelwata, a terrible massacre occurred in which around 200 people were killed with extreme cruelty,” he said, urging peace and justice for Nigeria’s rural Christian communities.
Amnesty International Nigeria demanded that authorities “immediately end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue State and bring the actual perpetrators to justice.” The international community’s focus has amplified pressure on the Nigerian government to address the crisis.
A History of Violence in Benue
The Yelwata and Daudu massacres are part of a broader pattern of violence in Benue State, which has seen thousands killed in recent years. Amnesty International reported that between January 2023 and February 2024, at least 2,600 people, mostly women and children, were killed in attacks on 50 Benue communities.
In May 2025 alone, over 100 people were killed in Gwer West, Apa, Ukum, and Logo LGAs, with attacks on villages like Aondona and Tyolaha claiming dozens of lives. Earlier in April, 56 people were killed in Ukum and Logo, with Governor Alia blaming suspected herders.
The farmer-herder conflict, rooted in competition over land and water, has been exacerbated by climate change and population growth. Herders, facing desertification in northern Nigeria, migrate south, clashing with farmers over grazing routes. The conflict often takes on ethnic and religious dimensions, with Fulani herders and Tiv farmers locked in a cycle of reprisals. The emergence of groups like Lakurawa has added a new layer of criminality, with bandits exploiting the chaos for profit.
Toward Solutions: Breaking the Cycle
Ending the Benue killings requires urgent, multi-pronged action. First, security must be strengthened in rural areas. The International Crisis Group recommends permanent security outposts equipped with modern technology to deter attacks. Second, enforcing Benue’s Open Grazing Prohibition Law through designated grazing zones and mediation between farmers and herders could reduce resource conflicts. Governor Alia’s call for community reconciliation meetings is a step in this direction.
Third, addressing the humanitarian crisis is critical. SEMA and the UNHCR must expand IDP camp capacity, improve sanitation, and provide food and medical care. Long-term reintegration programs can help displaced farmers rebuild. Finally, tackling political sponsorship, as alleged by Governor Alia, requires investigations and accountability to curb elite-driven violence.
A Community in Mourning
As Benue buries its dead, the scars of the Yelwata and Daudu massacres run deep. Families like Christian Msuega’s are left to grieve, while survivors like Mary Tersoo face an uncertain future. The protests in Makurdi and Daudu reflect a community pushed to its breaking point, demanding an end to the violence that has claimed over 200 lives in June 2025 alone. With the world watching, from Pope Leo XIV to Amnesty International, the pressure is on Nigeria’s leaders to act decisively. The Benue killings are not just a tragedy—they are a call to confront the systemic failures fueling Nigeria’s Middle Belt crisis.