In a chilling replay of unrelenting violence, the Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State came under siege between the night of 13 June and early hours of 14 June 2025. Armed men, believed to be herdsmen, unleashed terror on sleeping families—burning homes, slaughtering residents, and reducing an entire community to ruin. With nearly 200 lives lost and survivors left traumatised, Esther Oluku writes that the massacre had reignited national outrage and intensified demands for justice, security, and lasting peace in Nigeria’s most beleaguered farming heartland

Between 10pm on 13 June and the early hours of 14 June 2025, the Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State was once again plunged into chaos and bloodshed. Armed men, alleged to be herdsmen, stormed homes and market stalls where defenceless men, women, and children were fast asleep. What followed was one of the most brutal massacres the state has witnessed—victims were butchered, shot, and burnt. The death toll is speculated to be close to 200.

As the community reels under a blanket of grief and disbelief, survivors are trying to rebuild their lives from the ashes of devastation. Though the loss remains palpable, the government, security agencies, and victims themselves are engaging in dialogue to forge a path back to peace and a semblance of normalcy.

A Survivor’s Pain

“My brothers and other family members were with me in the store. When I heard the shootings, I told them that we should leave, but my half-brother laughed, asking if I was scared of bullets. He said he would lock the doors with the women and children. That is how I escaped with my two wives. My other younger brother in the provision store was killed along with my half-brother, our wives, and children. They shot the door multiple times, forced it open, and shot him dead,” recounted Terhemba Iormba.

Of the eleven members of the Iormba family who took refuge in their shops that night, only three survived—Terhemba himself, his first wife Mtire, and his second wife Elizabeth. His other wives, Apam and Philomena; his sister Mgbetsan; younger brother Matthew; child Kumawuese; half-brother Akaama; and Akaama’s eight-year-old daughter were all reduced to ashes.

A successful farmer and businessman, Terhemba lost more than just loved ones. He watched his life’s work disintegrate in a matter of hours—1,000 bags of rice, 140 bags of beni seed, 540 bags of guinea corn, 70 bags of soybeans, 30 bags of maize, four mattresses, two motorcycles, two wheelbarrows, a power tiller, and two shops and warehouses filled with goods worth an estimated ₦3 million. Also destroyed was ₦500,000 in cash and 200 crates of beer, along with a refrigerator.

Many of these items, he noted, belonged to other traders and farmers who had stored them in his warehouses for safekeeping. With this loss, Terhemba, like countless others, has returned to zero—emotionally, mentally, financially, and psychologically.

The Toll of Violence

This attack, executed while most victims were asleep or paralysed with shock, is among the most inhumane and devastating carried out by suspected herdsmen in recent memory. Bodies were burnt beyond recognition. While some managed to escape, the memories and trauma remain.

With nearly 200 fatalities and numerous others wounded, residents fear this may be just one more episode in the long series of killings that have plagued the state for over two decades. Survivors have been relocated to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, where a new challenge has emerged: insufficient resources to address their needs.

“I came here when herdsmen attacked Yelewata. The governor told us to come here—that he would take care of us. We are hungry. They brought food but have not given it to us, and the rations barely feed one person. We share what we have. As the resources are insufficient, we’ve decided to return to Yelewata and fend for ourselves,” said Nancy Ugbir.

A History of Bloodshed

The Yelewata massacre is not isolated. Earlier in June, Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia confirmed that 23 people were killed in Apa and Gwer West local government areas. In February, five people were killed in Okpomaju village, and 19 more in Kwande. 

On 3 April, Fulani gunmen attacked a Benue Links bus, killing two and abducting 13. Another 72 were killed in Ukum near Zaki Biam, and in April and May, multiple killings were recorded in Otukpo Local Government Area. Just this week again, they marauding herdsmen struck again and left blood in its wake. 

Farmer-herder conflicts are not new. A study by Cletus Famous Nwankwo in Science Direct titled “From Ejecting the Herds to Hidden Dangers” links the violence to changing socio-economics and commercial farming, land competition, and climate change. These pressures often lead to the displacement of farmers, creating ungoverned spaces.

“Ungoverned spaces, characterised by weak governance, violence, and insecurity, pose significant national and international security threats,” Nwankwo argued. These areas, he said, became breeding grounds for criminal activity due to state weakness.

“In northern Nigeria, inadequate forest governance enables criminal activities, including cattle rustling, kidnapping, and armed robbery. Though ungoverned spaces are not the sole cause, socio-economic dynamics among pastoralists contribute significantly to these conflicts,” he added.

Benue’s anti-open grazing law, while aimed at protecting farmers, has further escalated tensions, with herders responding through violent attacks.

Speaking on Arise TV, Governor Alia said, “The river is not too far by that axis. We understand that they came in through the water.” This points to a strategic exploitation of weakly governed natural corridors, underlining the complex and shifting dynamics of the conflict.

Religious Undertones

The Director of Communications of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumuku, highlighted another disturbing dimension: religion.

“With herders being Muslims and farmers being Christians, these persistent attacks could be a calculated jihad towards conquering Christian settlements and converting them,” he warned.

Government Response and Presidential Visit

Five days after the incident and zero silence from the presidency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu finally visited Makurdi to commiserate with the victims, calling for reinforced security and justice. Although he held a stakeholders meeting, he however failed to reach the victims of the massacre, citing the rains and bad roads. 

 However, at the stakeholders meeting, he charged “I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals. Police, I hope your men are alert. How come no arrest has been made? Get those criminals.”

He urged Nigerians to embrace peace: “We now have to share and accommodate. We must change that attitude of hate… It must reflect in everything we do.”

Governor Alia echoed the president’s sentiments, saying, “We have the assurances of their support. We now have increased security teams. It remains our prayer and resolve that this kind of thing doesn’t happen again.”

Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, pledged action: “We are going all out… We want this to be the last one that will happen”, while Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, reaffirmed the police’s commitment: “We are committed to fighting this battle and winning this war.”

Allegations of Genocide

In the face of such chilling deaths, the Paramount Ruler of the Tiv nation, HRM Prof. James Ayatse, was emphatic: “This is a full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder terrorists. It is not learning to live with neighbours. It is war.”

He lamented the politicisation of the crisis: “What has Benue done to deserve this? We appeal to you to end the genocide and the insecurity across Nigeria.”

Terhemba Iormba stressed the need for security. “This conflict didn’t start now. It’s been over 15 years. They’ve chased me from my home. I now sleep in the market. If there was security, the herdsmen wouldn’t get away with this.”

Another respondent, Francis, pointed to an imbalance in power: “When they come with weapons, we have nothing to defend ourselves. The herders fear only the security operatives.”

Towards a Lasting Solution

To find a lasting peace, President Tinubu has established a Peace Committee. Members include former governors Gen. Atom Kpera (rtd.), George Akume, Gabriel Suswam, and Samuel Ortom; the Paramount Ruler of Tiv Nation, HRM Prof. James Ayatse; and the Ochidoma, HRM Dr. John Elaigwu.

Governor Alia appealed for a special intervention fund: “While we mourn and rebuild, we urge the Federal Government to establish a special intervention fund for communities affected by these incessant attacks.”

Such a fund, he said, would support the rehabilitation of displaced persons, the reconstruction of homes and infrastructure, and ongoing humanitarian relief.

For the survivors of Yelewata, life will never be the same. Amid the ruins of their homes and the ashes of their loved ones, they are left to grapple not just with grief, but with the overwhelming task of rebuilding from nothing. Children who once played in the courtyards now huddle in makeshift shelters. Farmers who fed entire communities have become beggars in IDP camps. Yet, even in their devastation, they speak with unwavering resolve.

“We may be broken, but we are not defeated,” said Terhemba Iormba. “We will return to our farms, rebuild our homes, and start again—not because it is easy, but because we must. But we cannot do it alone. The government must not turn away. We have done our part by surviving; now they must do theirs by protecting us. This land is our inheritance, not a battlefield. We are not asking for favours—we are demanding our right to live.”

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