- Gunmen stormed Yelwata at night, killing over 100 residents and burning homes in a coordinated, brutal assault.
- Attackers used bush paths and fire to trap villagers, many burned alive or hacked down while fleeing their homes.
Yelwata: A QUIET VILLAGE MARKED BY TRAGEDY
Nestled quietly along the busy Keffi–Benue–Enugu highway, Yelwata is a small community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria.
Just about 50 kilometers from Makurdi, the state capital, Yelwata lived in the shadows of power and progress, maintaining a slow, peaceful rhythm untouched by the noise of politics or modern ambition.
There were no grand structures or public spectacles—just a people content with the basics: farming, raising families, and seeing each new harvest.
Although the village bordered Nasarawa State and sat along a major transport route, it remained largely neglected by authorities.
But that neglect never gave rise to bitterness. Life was simple and neighborly, built on hard work and mutual respect.
For the men, farming was more than livelihood—it was legacy. They rose with the sun to tend to cassava, maize, and yam fields.
The women, resilient and industrious, juggled agriculture with small-scale trading. Children played barefoot in the red dust, untouched by the worries of the world beyond.
Until everything changed on a rainy Friday night—June 13.
A NIGHT OF FIRE AND GUNSHOTS
That evening, rain had softened the air, bringing with it the comfort of routine. Cooking fires died down as families retreated indoors.
The only sounds were frogs and crickets in the dark. Then, around 11 p.m., chaos erupted.
Gunfire shattered the stillness, originating from the direction of the village’s new market.
Local police responded quickly, but the attackers—suspected to be heavily armed herders—outnumbered and outmaneuvered them.
“They surrounded us from every angle,” one resident recounted. While some attackers drew attention with gunfire, others slipped in quietly through nearby bush paths, setting houses ablaze with petrol. Those who tried to escape the flames were met with machetes.
By dawn on June 14, more than 100 people were confirmed dead. The final number would climb higher. Survivors moved through the ruins in silence, overwhelmed by a grief too deep for words.
SURVIVORS SPEAK THROUGH THE ASHES
Joy Vitalise, a 27-year-old mother of four, stood before what used to be her provision store. She recalled hiding across the road, peering through a small opening as her village burned.
“They wore flowing clothes and carried bags across their shoulders,” she said, describing the attackers’ dress. “I could hear them shouting in Hausa, daring anyone to fight back.”
Her husband, along with others, hid in the shop and survived by pure luck. But many others weren’t as fortunate.
For Titus Tsegba, a 65-year-old farmer, the attack stole nearly everything. His wife and four of his seven children were killed. “What kind of life is left for me now?” he asked, staring blankly at the remnants of his home.
He had stayed behind in a nearby town the night of the attack, calling repeatedly to check on his family.
None of the calls went through. By morning, his worst fears were confirmed: his family was gone, and their house was in ashes.
A FUTURE LOST IN THE FLAMES
Terhemba Iormba, a once-thriving rice trader, lost not just his business but his entire household.
He had hidden with his wives and relatives in one of his storage buildings filled with over N40 million worth of rice. The attackers torched it, and only Terhemba made it out alive.
His brother, Matthew—a recent pharmacy graduate with dreams of opening a clinic—was also killed. “He was our future,” Terhemba wept. “Now, there’s nothing left.”
James Koryol, a high school student from Makurdi, lost his sponsor and guardian, Terlumun Zer, in the attack.
Zer had believed deeply in the young man’s academic future, often saying James would one day become a professor. That dream, too, now lies under the rubble.
WHEN REINFORCEMENTS NEVER CAME
Although police officers stationed in Yelwata responded quickly, their efforts were no match for the scale of the assault.
Requests for backup—especially from the nearby Tactical Air Command in Makurdi—went unanswered. Many in the village believe the lack of response was intentional.
“We made the calls. We pleaded. No help came,” said one resident who asked to remain unnamed.
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the violence and visited the area, promising justice.
But President Bola Tinubu’s statement referring to the incident as a “reprisal” angered locals. “We did nothing to provoke this,” said Fr. Jonathan, a Catholic priest in the community.
James Ortese Ayatse, the paramount ruler of the Tiv people, responded sharply. “This isn’t a clash. It’s a systematic invasion. If the federal government misdiagnoses the problem, any solution will fail,” he warned.
A PATTERN OF VIOLENCE
Yelwata’s tragedy is not an isolated one. Benue State has endured repeated attacks over the past decade.
In 2018 alone, over 1,500 people were killed in similar violence. Entire communities have been forced into IDP camps, their lives forever disrupted.
Community leaders believe the attackers retreat into Nasarawa State after their missions. “This was a calculated act, not a spontaneous conflict,” said retired soldier Ikyapa Timothy.
Even Fr. Jonathan, whose church sheltered fleeing residents, agreed. “We heard their voices and saw the terror firsthand. There was no provocation.”
THE ROAD AHEAD
Today, what’s left of Yelwata is mostly rubble and memory. Aid agencies and government bodies have begun providing food and temporary shelter. But for survivors, no amount of assistance can replace what was lost.
Tents may shield them from rain, but not from grief. Bags of rice cannot stand in for loved ones. And no politician’s promise can restore dreams crushed in a single night.
Once an overlooked village, Yelwata now stands as a grim symbol of what’s at stake when communities are abandoned and justice delayed.
The people pray this will be the last time they are forced to dig mass graves—for a generation that never got to grow old.
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