Crime

Benue Massacres: Soldiers Stood Idle as Communities Bled

Published by Tope Fakinlede on August 15th, 2025.

Benue Massacres: Soldiers Stood Idle as Communities Bled

By Emmanuel Uti | Field Report

Despite mounting warnings and repeated violence, the Benue State Government has spent the better part of a decade failing to curb the cycle of bloodshed plaguing its rural communities. A recent investigation by FIJ reveals that government inaction, military hesitation, and unaddressed grievances have allowed tragedies to flourish — including a wave of attacks in June and July 2025.

On May 25, Emmanuel Uzeh returned to his hometown of Yelewata with a heavy heart. His father’s elder brother, along with three of his children, had been killed while traveling — ambushed by armed herdsmen near the town. The murders sent shockwaves through the community.

In the aftermath, Fulani elders visited Yelewata in what appeared to be an effort to de-escalate tensions. They expressed regret, blamed the incident on “disrespectful young herders,” and asked for peace.

“They apologized and asked for forgiveness,” Uzeh told FIJ. But reconciliation didn’t last.

The Calm Before Another Storm

Less than three weeks later, on June 13, violence returned. Armed Fulani men stormed Yelewata once again, killing Uzeh’s younger brother and other villagers working in their fields. This, despite public assurances from the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, that such atrocities would no longer be tolerated.

In the months preceding the June attacks, a growing sense of danger gripped Yelewata. Reports of herders damaging farms, late-night gunfire, and isolated killings created an atmosphere of fear. Yet official action was minimal.

One particularly harrowing incident occurred in February, when a woman returning from the market was kidnapped after her vehicle broke down. While the driver searched for fuel, gunmen appeared from the surrounding bush. Villagers had to raise a ransom — including crops and ₦300,000 — to secure her release.

Community members appealed to local leaders, but their concerns appeared to fall on deaf ears.

Warnings Ignored, Soldiers Passive

As rumors swirled of looming attacks, some villagers fled. Those who stayed faced deadly consequences. Survivors say they now view the military with distrust — particularly the Nigerian Army’s 72nd Special Forces Battalion, stationed at a local mission school during the June 13 assault.

Women fleeing the violence sought refuge at the school, only to be turned away by soldiers.

“They told us they couldn’t do anything unless their commander gave the order,” one woman recounted. “Only the police tried to intervene. They bought time for people to escape, but once they ran out of ammunition, they had to fall back.”

This account was echoed by others, including two displaced women now at an IDP camp in Makurdi.

The Attacks Didn’t End in June

On July 29, another deadly incident unfolded. Three young men noticed armed attackers approaching as they cooked. They escaped towards the police post, prompting a brief firefight. But the police were outgunned and quickly withdrew.

Matthew Abo, the Benue State Commissioner for Information, later described the killings as part of a “coordinated, genocidal campaign” to seize land and destroy local agriculture — a sentiment shared by many residents.

Over 615,000 people have been displaced across Benue. Most have abandoned their farms — either destroyed, taken over, or too dangerous to return to.

“We harvest, store what we can, and then it’s all destroyed,” said one farmer, Anya. “If this isn’t a plan to erase us from our land, then what is?”

Anya also alleged that soldiers were complicit — allowing herders to move freely while scrutinizing locals. “They [herders] wear military vests and carry weapons openly. But if one of us carries a knife, we’re harassed.”

A History of Warnings

The conflict between farmers and herders in Benue is not new. Some locals trace its roots to 2009; others say 2011 or 2014, when violence intensified.

A point-of-sale agent in Yelewata recalled 2014 as a turning point. “We didn’t sit quietly like now. We defended ourselves, and that brought some peace.”

In nearby Daudu, Peter Ishor remembered a similar spirit of resistance. “When they attacked us in 2014, the youths stood up. We never struck first, but we had to defend our homes.”

In April 2014, then-Governor Gabriel Suswam survived an ambush during a visit to Guma Local Government Area. His convoy was attacked after soldiers pulled out unexpectedly. Sixty-four villages had been destroyed in previous weeks — another grim warning of the crisis spiraling out of control.

By 2017, the Nigeria Watch Project had recorded over 400 deaths in communal clashes. The most affected local government areas — Gwer West, Guma, Agatu, and Logo — bordered communities like Yelewata.

Despite the passage of the Anti-Open Grazing Law in 2017, actual security improvements were minimal. The 2017 report warned of weak security and a government unwilling or unable to respond effectively.

A Tragic Cycle Repeats

In 2025, the same warning signs — and the same failures — remain. Violence has become routine, trust in authorities is nearly nonexistent, and survivors live in fear of the next attack.

At the time of publishing, attempts by FIJ to get responses from the Benue State Government were unsuccessful. Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Anele Dir declined to comment, redirecting FIJ to the spokesperson for Operation Whirl Stroke. That contact was promised, but never shared.

As Yelewata and neighboring communities struggle to bury their dead,

the question remains: how many more warnings will go unheeded?