By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com

Makurdi, Nigeria – June 17, 2025 — More than 6,000 people have been displaced in central Nigeria following a brutal attack on the village of Yelewata in Benue State on Friday night. The assault, carried out by unidentified gunmen, left dozens dead and hundreds of homes burned, forcing residents to flee for safety in surrounding communities.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), a total of 6,527 individuals—spread across 1,069 households—have been forced to abandon their homes. Many of the displaced are now seeking refuge in makeshift shelters, churches, and schools in the neighboring Guma Local Government Area.

Survivors recount harrowing scenes of gunmen storming the village under cover of darkness, opening fire indiscriminately, and setting homes ablaze. Eyewitnesses say entire families were trapped in their homes as fires consumed the structures. While official casualty figures are still being compiled, local authorities estimate that at least 59 people were killed, with some media outlets and human rights groups reporting the death toll could be as high as 100.

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the attack, calling it “a terrible massacre.” He has ordered increased security deployments to the area and assured affected communities of the government’s commitment to bringing the perpetrators to justice. “We will not fold our arms while our people are being slaughtered,” Alia said in a statement. “We have mobilized emergency response units and are coordinating relief operations to ensure the displaced get urgent care.”

This latest violence adds to the ongoing cycle of conflict in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where long-standing tensions between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers have escalated into frequent and deadly clashes. Disputes over land, water resources, and cattle grazing rights are at the root of many of these conflicts, which have displaced over two million people in recent years.

Humanitarian organizations operating in the region have raised concerns about the growing scale of internal displacement, urging both the Nigerian government and international partners to step up aid delivery. “There is an urgent need for food, water, healthcare, and shelter for thousands of families affected by this attack,” a NEMA spokesperson stated.

Efforts are underway to conduct needs assessments and deliver relief supplies to those displaced. Meanwhile, security forces continue patrols in and around Yelewata to prevent further violence and provide reassurance to neighboring communities still on edge after the attack.