Tragedy in Benue: Herdsmen K!ll 23 Members of One Family in Yelwata Massacre
The Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State has been thrown into mourning following a brutal attack by suspected herdsmen, which claimed the lives of over 100 people. The gruesome incident, which began late Friday night on June 13, 2025, and continued into the early hours of Saturday, June 14, has left survivors in deep shock and despair.
Some unconfirmed reports have pushed the death toll as high as 200, making this one of the deadliest attacks in Benue in recent years. For many in the community, life will never be the same again. The scale of the devastation has reignited national concerns about herdsmen-related violence in Nigeria, particularly in the North-Central region.
A Father's Worst Nightmare: "My Wife and Four Children Were Burned to Ashes"
Among the victims of this mass killing is the entire family of Tsegba Gbam Ayua, a displaced man who had been living in Yelwata with his wife and four children. Originally from Ayua in neighboring Nasarawa State, Ayua had relocated to Yelwata after his community was attacked over two years ago. The family had been hoping to rebuild their lives in safety—until this horrific attack took everything from them.
Ayua, while speaking to Daily Trust in Makurdi on Sunday, June 15, recounted the painful events that unfolded while he was away doing menial jobs to support his family.
“I had been displaced from Ayua in Nasarawa State for over two years and was taking refuge with my family in Yelewata. A few days before the incident, I travelled back to Nasarawa to do menial jobs so I could support my family,” Ayua said.
His voice trembled as he narrated the moment he got the life-shattering call.
“Then, around 11 pm on Friday, I got a call that our host community was under attack. I rushed back early Saturday morning, only to find the worst nightmare of my life. My wife and four children had been burned to ashes inside the market stalls where they were sleeping. Over 100 corpses were recovered in the area.”
Ayua added that he buried his entire family the same day. Now, he is left with nothing but memories—and trauma that may never heal.
"I Lost 23 Family Members": A Former Government Official's Painful Revelation
Another heart-wrenching testimony comes from Prince Aondona Isaka Ornguga, a former Senior Special Assistant to ex-Governor Samuel Ortom on Local Government Administration. Ornguga initially took to Facebook to reveal that he had lost “over 15 members” of his extended family. However, he has now clarified that a total of 23 family members were killed during the massacre.
The slain individuals were all related to Ornguga through his mother’s family in Tse Tarbee, a village that was badly affected by the attack.
“I spoke with two of the victims—Victor Utim and Mathew Iormba—about three weeks ago. They are my first cousins from Tse Tarbee, my mother’s village. While Utim just wrote JAMB, and we were working on getting admission for him. Iormba told me he went to check his business around there,” Ornguga said.
The pain in his words was evident as he struggled to comprehend the brutal end that befell his family members.
“Iormba was a pharmacist. He had a tall dream, but look at how it all ended for them. And for Utim, this is not what we discussed,” he added.
Ornguga, like many in Benue, is grappling with not only personal loss but also the unrelenting violence that has plagued the state for over a decade.
Survivor's Account: "We Were Sleeping When Gunshots Rang Out"
Mama Victoria Tyobee, a resident of Yelwata and a survivor of the deadly attack, still finds it hard to believe that she is alive. She was in her home when the attackers struck.
“We were sleeping when, about midnight, I heard a gunshot, and looking through the window, I saw one of the attackers with a weapon standing right by my house. As I was wondering what to do next, there were sporadic gunshots, and the man fled into the nearby bushes,” she recalled.
After waiting for a while and sensing that the danger had passed, she stepped outside. What she saw broke her heart.
“It was after a while that I mustered the courage to step out of the house. I later discovered that my relatives were not so fortunate. We lost three of them. It’s indeed a very sad experience.”
Yelwata Attack Highlights the Insecurity Crisis in Nigeria’s Middle Belt
The Yelwata massacre is part of a larger pattern of escalating violence in Benue State and other parts of Nigeria's Middle Belt, where clashes between herdsmen and farming communities have led to thousands of deaths over the past decade.
Benue, often referred to as the "Food Basket of the Nation", has borne a disproportionate brunt of this crisis. Guma Local Government Area, where this latest tragedy occurred, has been attacked multiple times in the past by gunmen allegedly linked to herder militias.
These killings often go unpunished, and residents frequently accuse both federal and state governments of failing to protect rural communities. Despite numerous deployments of military and security personnel in the state, such attacks continue with devastating regularity.
National Outrage and Call for Justice
The massacre has sparked nationwide outrage, with calls growing louder for urgent government intervention. Civil society organizations, human rights activists, and political leaders are demanding that those responsible for the Yelwata killings be brought to justice.
The Benue State government is yet to release an official casualty figure, but local sources and eyewitnesses suggest the death toll could exceed 100. Many fear that the number may rise further as more bodies are recovered from the surrounding bushes and farmlands.
Final Thoughts: A Nation in Mourning
The tragedy in Yelwata is not just another statistic in the rising tide of violence in Nigeria. It is a powerful reminder of the human cost of insecurity, the pain of families like the Ayuas and Orngugas, and the trauma that will linger long after the last grave is dug.
If justice is not served, if the killers are not arrested, prosecuted, and punished, then it is only a matter of time before another community suffers the same fate. As Nigerians, and as human beings, we must demand better. Yelwata must not be forgotten.
