Late Friday night in Yelewata, a densely populated town in Benue State, suspected armed herdsmen launched a coordinated strike that has reportedly left over 100 people dead, including two soldiers and a Civil Defence officer .
Witnesses say the attack began around 10 p.m., as four soldiers guarding the town faced an onslaught from more than 100 armed assailants, firing relentlessly into homes, shops, and food stores; many buildings were set on fire .
Local sources estimate the death toll at 107, including victims of security forces sent to respond. Over 50 bodies have been recovered so far, and many residents remain missing . Several injured individuals are receiving treatment in nearby hospitals, and survivors have been displaced, compounding the humanitarian crisis .
Although the Benue police have issued no official figures, the Guma LGA chairman, Maurice Orwough, described the attack as “unprovoked” and warned that the initial incursion began in the nearby Daudu town, only for herdsmen to move on to Yelewata after being temporarily halted by the military .
Eyewitnesses paint a scene of devastation: “entire families wiped out,” makeshift shelters torched, and fleeing civilians shot or hacked down . Mass burial efforts are already underway while residents continue searching for missing loved ones .
