In the early hours of June 13, 2025, horror returned to Benue State as suspected armed herdsmen launched coordinated attacks on Daudu and Yelewata communities in Guma Local Government Area.
Residents say the scale and savagery of the violence surpassed anything in recent memory. Homes were set ablaze with people trapped inside.
Entire families were butchered, children, the elderly, and even military personnel deployed to safeguard the area were not spared.
While official figures from the Benue State Government confirmed 59 deaths, local reports—including from witnesses and humanitarian responders—claim that the actual death toll may exceed 200.
This included many who had already been displaced by earlier waves of conflict and had sought refuge in makeshift shelters.
“They were burnt beyond recognition,” said one local rescuer. “We couldn’t tell which body belonged to whom.”
The scale of devastation has renewed outrage across Nigeria and reignited calls for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Benue, a state that has become synonymous with deadly conflict between farmers and herders.
Federal Response: Strong Words, Weak Actions
President Tinubu responded to the tragedy by reiterating his directive to security chiefs to take immediate and decisive action.
In a statement, the Presidency assured Nigerians that “ending the killings in Benue is a priority” and that service chiefs had been tasked with “restoring peace and order.”
I have been briefed on the senseless bloodletting in Benue State.
— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) June 15, 2025
Enough is enough! I have directed the security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict, and prosecute them.
Political and community leaders in Benue State…
But these words, while familiar, no longer inspire confidence. Critics argue that federal interventions have been reactive, fragmented, and inadequate.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was among the loudest voices condemning the killings, stating, “We must hold leaders accountable.”
His sentiment echoes the widespread frustration that Nigeria's leadership, despite years of escalating bloodshed in the Middle Belt, has yet to craft or enforce a coherent long-term solution.
Governor Alia Under Fire
Benue’s Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has also come under intense scrutiny.
While he visited affected areas and confirmed the deaths of dozens, his administration has faced criticism for allegedly suppressing peaceful protests that erupted in the wake of the killings.
Youths took to the streets in Makurdi, blocking major highways and demanding justice and protection.
💔Stop the kill!ng in Benue State, Nigeria 🚫🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/2YufEIgGNo
— VDM (@vdmempire) June 15, 2025
One protest was joined by popular activist VeryDarkMan, who traveled to the capital to lend his voice to the cause.
The peaceful demonstrations were reportedly dispersed with force, prompting the state chapter of the APC to condemn the government's response as "heavy-handed and shameful."
For many in Benue, the state government’s actions—or lack thereof—have reinforced a narrative of abandonment.
A Humanitarian and Security Emergency
Beyond the loss of lives, the attacks have deepened an already dire humanitarian crisis.
Thousands have fled their homes, joining swelling populations in IDP camps with little access to water, food, or medicine.
The trauma among survivors is palpable, and local clinics are overwhelmed. Security experts and human rights organisations argue that the attacks meet the threshold of crimes against humanity.
The Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) warned that unchecked violence in Benue could soon spiral into a wider ethnic conflict with national implications, yet the violence persists.
The Case for a State of Emergency
With Benue increasingly resembling a war zone, many now argue that only a state of emergency can halt the carnage and reset the national response.
A state of emergency would allow the federal government to mobilise exceptional resources, enforce curfews, accelerate prosecutions, and overhaul local security command structures.
Critics may fear the political implications of such a declaration, but proponents say the alternative—continued mass killings, displacement, and lawlessness—is far worse.
More importantly, a state of emergency must go beyond military deployments.
It must include trauma care, disarmament of militias, compensation for victims, and a national peace and reconciliation framework that addresses the deep-rooted causes of the crisis.
Nigeria at a Crossroads
President Tinubu faces a defining test of leadership. His government has pledged to secure lives and foster unity, but the ongoing tragedy in Benue undermines that promise.
If the Nigerian state cannot protect one of its most vulnerable regions from routine massacre, its very legitimacy is in question.
The eyes of the nation—and the world—are watching. How the federal government responds to Benue may well define its human rights legacy.
For the people of Guma and countless others in Benue, the question is no longer whether they are safe; it is whether they will be safe. It is whether they have been forgotten. And whether Nigeria still sees their lives as worth saving.
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