Tragedy struck Benue State over the weekend as Governor Hyacinth Alia confirmed the killing of 59 people in Yelwata, a border town between Benue and Nasarawa states, following a deadly attack by suspected armed herdsmen.
Speaking at a press briefing at the Benue Government House on Sunday, Governor Alia disclosed that the casualty figure was based on physical headcounts conducted by security operatives in collaboration with affected families. Among the dead were members of the military and civil defence corps who lost their lives defending the embattled community.
The governor acknowledged the assistance of Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, who provided intelligence on the incident, revealing that one woman was also killed on the Nasarawa side of the border during the coordinated attack.
The renewed violence has triggered public outrage, with hundreds of angry youths staging protests in Makurdi. Demonstrators gathered at the Wurukum food basket roundabout early Sunday, demanding swift government action to end the bloodshed. Notable activist and social media influencer, Martin Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, joined the protest in solidarity with the grieving communities.
In response to the escalating crisis, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga announced that President Bola Tinubu has directed security chiefs to immediately implement his earlier orders to restore peace in Benue. According to the statement, top military, police, and intelligence commanders have arrived in the state to coordinate security operations and stabilize the region.
Meanwhile, the international community has begun to react. Pope Leo XIV, during his Sunday Angelus address at the Vatican, condemned the killings as a “terrible massacre,” mourning the murder of displaced civilians in what he described as an act of “extreme cruelty.” The pontiff offered prayers for security, justice, and lasting peace in Nigeria, with special mention of the Christian communities in Benue, whom he called “relentless victims of violence.”
Governor Alia also used the occasion to receive a report from a panel of inquiry on militia activities in the volatile Sankera axis, vowing to hand over findings to relevant authorities and prosecute those implicated in efforts to restore peace in the troubled area.
