In the early hours of June 15, horror descended on Yelwata village in Benue State as armed attackers believed to be Fulani herdsmen stormed the community. Eyewitnesses describe how the assailants opened fire on sleeping residents and set homes ablaze, forcing terrified families to flee in darkness. While the official death toll stands at 45, local sources claim the number of lives lost could exceed 150. The violence has left dozens wounded and hundreds displaced, many of whom are now sheltering in overcrowded churches and makeshift camps.
President Bola Tinubu has condemned the attack and ordered security forces to restore calm, promising swift justice for those responsible. But for many Nigerians, such reassurances feel hollow. Benue has been a flashpoint in the long-running conflict between farming communities and herders, and this latest tragedy highlights the government’s continued failure to prevent mass violence in vulnerable rural areas.
This is more than a regional conflict; it reflects broader national issues—land use disputes, ethnic tension, weak policing, and limited justice. Yelwata is a farming village, part of Nigeria’s agricultural heartland, and yet the people there live under constant threat. Unless serious efforts are made to address the root causes of this violence and protect the communities most affected, similar tragedies will continue.
The attack in Yelwata should be a wake-up call—not just for authorities, but for all Nigerians and the international community. The lives lost must not be reduced to statistics. Behind each number is a family, a story, a future cut short. It’s time to demand more than statements. It’s time for action.
