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Summary
Over 100 people were brutally killed during an overnight attack on the Yelwata community in Benue State, North Central Nigeria, sparking national outrage and protests by angry youths. Prominent political activists, including Aisha Yesufu, have also condemned the massacre.
At least 100 people have been killed in Yelwata, a community in Benue State, North Central Nigeria, following a brutal overnight attack by gunmen on June 13, 2025. The massacre, which reportedly lasted for hours, has drawn widespread condemnation, with many urging the Nigerian government to act swiftly to end the near-daily bloodshed in Benue State.
According to eyewitness reports, the assailants launched a coordinated assault on the town, splitting into two groups. One group reportedly targeted the local police station to divert security attention, engaging officers in a prolonged gunfire exchange. Simultaneously, the second group stormed residential areas, going house to house armed with machetes, petrol, and firearms. Residents were attacked in their sleep, slashed, doused in petrol, and burned alive.
The attack is believed to have started around 10 pm and lasted until around 2 a.m. Saturday morning. Yelwata, which lies on the border between Benue and Nasarawa states, has previously witnessed violent clashes, often attributed to suspected herdsmen.
Last month, a similar attack in the Gwer West area of Benue left at least 20 people dead.
On June 16, 2025, angry youths stormed the Wurukum food basket roundabout in Makurdi to protest the killings, demanding immediate action and accountability from the authorities.
Nigerians also voiced their outrage over the Yelwata massacre, calling attention to the persistent violence and government inaction.
Prominent activist Aisha Yesufu said,
“The number of people being killed in Tinubu’s illegitimate administration, while he silently gives consent to the killers to kill more, is supposed to be the number one issue being talked about!” She added, “Citizens, vigilantes are being ‘mistakenly’ bombed while leaders of terrorists are having open village square meetings and Tinubu’s impeachment is not on the table!”
Additionally, Chief Ene (@_Ojonya) reflected on the deeper political and historical context of the violence, linking it to longstanding efforts to divide Benue State:
“For years, the government of this country has tried to divide Benue State. Since the division of Benue-Plateau, they’ve held that Benue is too big and should be split. They fed on the tribal bigotry of the average Nigerian, and the Tiv people began to clamour for Katsina-ala state.” She continued, “That was how that one happened for long, to the extent that Tiv and Idoma people stopped marrying each other for a while, thinking the state would be divided.”
In response, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered security chiefs to enforce his earlier directive to restore peace in Benue State. He has instructed security agencies to act decisively by apprehending all perpetrators involved in the violence, regardless of affiliation and ensuring they are prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
According to presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, intelligence officers, police, and military personnel have been deployed to the region to coordinate security operations.
“The President is deeply saddened by this senseless act of violence,” Bayo Onanuga said. “He has ordered swift and decisive action to restore security and bring the perpetrators to justice.”
