‘They Were Still Burning’: Yelewata Massacre - Over 100 Dead as Armed Herdsmen Unleash Horror in Benue Community

 

A pall of mourning hangs over Yelewata, a once-peaceful community in Benue State, following a gruesome attack that left at least 107 people dead and many others injured. The early-morning assault, allegedly carried out by suspected armed herdsmen, unfolded with devastating ferocity, tearing through homes, lives, and the collective psyche of an already-fragile region.

Eyewitness accounts and local testimonies depict a blood-soaked dawn, where gunfire shattered the silence and flames consumed entire households. Survivors have painted scenes so harrowing they defy comprehension—children trapped in burning houses, elderly residents unable to flee, and families cut down as they slept. By midday Saturday, charred corpses and mutilated bodies dotted the ruins of Yelewata.

Gberindyer Vanen, a witness who passed through the community just hours after the onslaught, struggled to convey the horror. “Human beings are still burning inside their homes,” he wrote, visibly shaken. “You can perceive the smell of roasted human flesh.” His words echo the trauma felt by countless others forced to confront the aftermath firsthand.

As news of the tragedy spread, local volunteers and distraught relatives launched frantic searches for missing persons. With over 100 bodies recovered and the search still ongoing, the death toll is feared to rise. Among the victims are women, children, elderly citizens, and even a few members of local security outfits who reportedly tried to defend the village.

Official confirmation from the Benue State Police Command came through a brief statement acknowledging the attack. However, authorities declined to provide an exact casualty figure, opting instead to maintain that investigations were underway. The absence of concrete details has sparked growing frustration and accusations of governmental silence in the face of persistent insecurity.

Elder Zege Orkwande, a respected community voice, voiced his anguish via social media. “So far, 107 bodies found while the search is still in progress,” he wrote. “Pray for Yelewata, pray for Benue State. Our leaders’ failures in insecurity is obvious.” His message encapsulated the collective fury and sorrow of a region long plagued by recurring violence between armed herdsmen and agrarian communities.

No immediate explanation has been offered for the latest attack, but patterns of violence in the Middle Belt suggest ongoing land and resource conflicts, exacerbated by the absence of effective law enforcement and a volatile national security architecture.

Voices of sympathy poured in from various quarters, though many citizens say condolences are no substitute for protection. One of the earliest public figures to react was Engr. Thaddeus Orkpe, a House of Representatives hopeful representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency. His statement, though heartfelt, also served as a scathing indictment of the state’s failure to protect its citizens.

“I am deeply saddened by the senseless and brutal attack that claimed the lives of innocent citizens in Yelewata,” Orkpe said. “This act of violence is not only condemnable but a tragic reminder of the urgent need to strengthen security and ensure justice for all.”

Silence from the Benue State Government as of Saturday evening has drawn criticism, with many questioning the seeming indifference to such an unprecedented loss of life. Civic groups have called for immediate action, demanding not only a security overhaul but also accountability and justice for the slain.

The trail of sorrow left behind by the Yelewata massacre has once again thrown into stark relief the precariousness of life in Nigeria’s agrarian communities. Each attack chips away at the citizens’ trust in the government’s capacity to guarantee even the most basic right: the right to live.

Burnt-out homes now serve as grim memorials to the fallen, while orphaned children and grieving families try to make sense of a tragedy that defies reason. Beyond the statistics and headlines lies a broken community—one that may never fully recover, but still hopes the world will not look away.

Yelewata bleeds, and with it, a nation’s conscience is tested once more.