As about 200 persons, including Internally Displaced Persons, and five soldiers, were killed in the attack on two Benue State communities, residents live in fear and are calling on President Bola Tinubu for rescue.
On the night of June 13, 2025, armed militia men attacked Yelewata, and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area of the state.
The attack, which came days after the people of the area allegedly received information of the impending coordinated attacks by marauders, left many others with varying degrees of injuries.
The invaders were said to have stormed Yelewata in their numbers from two fronts and, after overpowering the youths and the police personnel who stood up against them, opened fire on defenceless IDPs who were taking refuge in market stalls and the community members.
It was gathered that several families were killed and burnt in their houses and in the Yelewata market stall, with many of the victims being children and toddlers who were slaughtered like animals.
While the attack on Yelewata was ongoing, another set of marauders, also in their number, besieged Daudu, in the same Guma LGA, but they reportedly met a strong resistance by the youths and security personnel, leading to the unfortunate death of some of the security personnel.
A community leader in Yelewata and former acting Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, Matthew Mnyan, who held back emotions as he spoke, said it was another dark day for the people of Yelewata, Daudu, Guma LGA and the entire state.
Mnyan said: “It started last night at about 11pm when Fulani terrorists came from the Western part of the Yelewata and started shooting.
“So the police men and young people who were there tried to engage them.
“Suddenly, another group came from the Eastern part of the community, and they overran those trying to resist them.
“They killed our people, poured petrol on the stalls in the market and burnt them.
“In those stalls, we had people who moved from places like Branch Udei and people displaced from nearby villages, who slept in them because of the proximity of the police and soldiers there.
“And we learnt no soldier came out to defend the people.
“As of now, from the names they are putting together, the number of families and people that were burnt and killed are running to over 200 now.
“They killed and burned people in the houses.
“They will pour petrol and burn the whole place where people were sleeping.
“We had a family of 15, some families of 12, men with their two wives, children, and every one of them burnt.
“It is a terrible sight.”
Meanwhile, a military source who preferred anonymity confirmed that two military personnel lost their lives in the attack.
He said: “We lost two military personnel in that attack, but I cannot tell you more than that.”
Residents of the state continue to live in fear as armed militia are almost taking over the state.
In the past three months, over 1,500 people have been killed and an uncountable number displaced.
