YELWATA, Benue, Nigeria (BN24) — Residents of Yelwata, a rural community in Guma Local Government Area, Benue, north of Nigeria, protested Monday morning after suspected herdsmen killed three people on farmland in the latest in a series of violent attacks on the community. The assault occurred in the early hours of August 11, 2025, less than two months after a massacre in the same area left more than 100 dead.
Protesters block major highway, demand government action on escalating violence.
Local sources say that, in addition to the three fatalities, three other individuals were injured and are currently being treated at a local hospital. The victims were reportedly members of the same family that lost 19 relatives in a similar attack on June 13, 2025.
In response to the killings, protesters blocked the Makurdi-Lafia Highway, displaying the bodies of the victims as a form of protest. The blockade halted traffic for several hours, disrupting travel between the two cities. One of the protesters, Maria Ihom, said the military had failed to protect the community, prompting the residents to take action.
“Nothing has been done to secure us,” Ihom said. “We had no choice but to block the road and show the government how serious this issue is.”
Achii Mathias, the youth leader of Yelwata, confirmed that the attack took place between 7 and 7:30 a.m. He suggested the attackers may have infiltrated the community in advance, launching their assault at dawn. Despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to security agencies to end the violence in the region, Mathias said the community continues to face grave threats.
“The government has made promises, but nothing has changed,” Mathias said in a phone interview.
Edet, a security official in the area, said that security forces pursued the attackers into nearby forests. They discovered that several farmers had been ambushed, with three suffering serious injuries. These individuals were taken to Benue State University Teaching Hospital. Three additional people were confirmed dead.
Following the June massacre, President Tinubu ordered an increased security presence and efforts to arrest those responsible for the violence. However, despite these measures, the ongoing attacks in the area have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the government’s response to herdsmen violence.
As the protests continued, residents expressed growing frustration with both local and national authorities, demanding more decisive action to protect them from further harm.
