On Friday, women from the North Bank community in Makurdi,the capital of Benue State, staged a protest over increasing insecurity and what they described as indiscriminate arrests of civilians in their area.
The demonstrators, carrying tree branches and chanting in unison, obstructed the federal highway near the Agan toll gate, temporarily halting traffic as they voiced their grievances.
Several of the protesters spoke to reporters, expressing alarm at a growing trend of arbitrary detentions by security personnel operating in the region. They alleged that law enforcement officials have been arresting physically fit young men from the community without cause, while turning a blind eye to the threat posed by armed herders who continue to terrorize various parts of Benue State.
“One day, they took 50 innocent people from our neighborhood,” one woman said. “This has become a daily nightmare. We’re living in fear—not just of herdsmen, but also of the security forces who are supposed to protect us.”
The protesters accused security agents of targeting innocent residents instead of confronting the actual perpetrators of violence—suspected armed herders responsible for numerous attacks in the state.
“Our people are tired. Instead of chasing after those causing the violence, the authorities keep harassing us,” another protester added.
For months, the North Bank community and surrounding areas have raised alarms about rising violence linked to suspected Fulani herders. These attacks have led to mass displacement and intensified insecurity in affected regions.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred on June 13, when gunmen launched a brutal attack on Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area. Over 100 people were confirmed dead, though some estimates suggest the toll could be as high as 200.
Initial reports indicate that the attackers first attempted to storm a mission site hosting over 400 internally displaced persons (IDPs) around 10 p.m. but were repelled by military forces. Undeterred, the assailants turned to the Yelewata Main Market, where they set buildings ablaze and mutilated victims’ bodies—some burned alive in their homes.
Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers shouted religious slogans, raising concerns that the assault may have been an act of ethnic cleansing.
This deadly onslaught was part of a broader wave of violence in Guma LGA. On June 8, two farmers were gunned down and a third seriously injured in Udei, Nyiev Council Ward. Two more people were killed in a machete attack in Tse Ivokor on June 11. A day later, five individuals were ambushed and killed in Daudu while searching for missing persons. On June 13, another four-member search team was slain in the same area.
In Makurdi LGA, the Akondutough community in North Bank was also attacked on June 13, leaving five people dead and eight others injured.
According to the Benue NGOs Network, over 5,700 people have lost their lives in the state due to terrorist violence since 2011. More than 150,000 residents have been displaced. In June 2025 alone, more than 6,500 people fled their homes, and nearly 2,900 new arrivals were recorded at IDP camps in one week in February.
