In the early hours of Friday, June 13, 2025, more than 200 villagers were slaughtered by heavily armed Fulani jihadists in Yelwata, a farming community in Guma Local Government Area (LGA), Benue State. This mass killing is part of a disturbing wave of targeted violence that has swept across central Nigeria in recent weeks.
This latest massacre follows a string of coordinated attacks across Benue State:
· May 25 – Aondoana, Gwer-West LGA
· June 1 – Edikwu-Ankpali, Apa LGA
· June 12 – Akundu-Tyough, Makurdi, the state capital
Yelwata, located just 7 km north of Makurdi, is a 98 percent Christian farming village—97 percent Catholic, 3 percent other denominations. It also serves as a settlement for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who fled earlier Fulani militia attacks in neighboring towns.
Eyewitnesses Describe a Night of Terror
The attack began around 10 p.m. Thursday night. According to witnesses, over 40 gunmen stormed the village on motorcycles in pairs, shouting “Allahu Akbar” as they opened fire on civilians, moving from house to house, setting homes on fire, and killing indiscriminately.
“They came from Rukubi in Doma, Keana, Obi, and other counties in Nasarawa State,” said Mton Matthias, a local youth leader. “They surrounded Yelwata, speaking Hausa and Fufulde, and began slaughtering people—mostly women, children, and displaced families who thought they had found safety here.”
“We’re still finding bodies in the bushes,” he added. “The death toll is rising every hour.”
“We’ve Already Buried Over 150—and Counting”
Hope Faith Ori, a data officer with the Catholic Diocese of Makurdi’s Justice, Peace and Development Foundation (JPDF), confirmed that at least 150 bodies had been counted so far, with 70 already sent to the morgue. Many corpses remain scattered across farmlands; some burned beyond recognition.
“We expect the final death toll to exceed 200,” Ori said.
A Public Health Disaster Is Unfolding
Rev. Fr. Remigius Ihyula, Director of JPDF, warned that the humanitarian crisis in Yelwata is worsening. The community’s water sources are contaminated, food supplies are gone, and survivors are too frightened to leave their homes.
“Children are vomiting and suffering from severe diarrhea,” said a local resident. “We fear a cholera outbreak. People are dying slowly—not from bullets, but from disease, hunger, and neglect.”
Ori confirmed the outbreak of cholera and typhoid, especially among children. She also warned that Fulani militias appear to be regrouping for another strike.
A Calculated Campaign of Ethnic Cleansing
According to Fr. Ihyula, this isn’t random violence—it’s a coordinated campaign to permanently displace Christians from their ancestral lands.
“These Fulani militias are not just killing—they’re clearing land to claim it,” he said. “And they’re being allowed to do it.”
He added that many of the attacks originate from Lafia, the capital of neighboring Nasarawa State, where armed jihadist groups reportedly find safe haven. “Successive Nasarawa governors have done nothing to stop this cross-border terrorism. Their silence is complicity.”
False Narratives and Disinformation
Fr. Ihyula also pushed back against online rumors blaming the massacre on Tiv militias. “There were no Tiv fighters involved. This is a deliberate attempt to muddy the truth and shield the real perpetrators.”
“This Is Genocide in Slow Motion”
David Onyillokwu Idah, Director of the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC), called the violence a systematic attempt to erase the Tiv and Idoma people.
“This is what the Nazis did to the Jews. It’s ethnic cleansing, step by step. First, they displace them. Then they come back and finish the job.”
Washington Reacts
The horrific scale of the massacre of Catholics in Nigeria drew a reaction from a Catholic religious freedom advocate in Washington, Jacqueline Halbig von Schleppenbach.
“All accounts of those on the ground note that this is the bloodiest massacre on record. The military was aware this was happening and did nothing!” von Schleppenbach texted to TruthNigeria. “They did not show up until the massacre ended,” she continued. “The time is now for the Trump administration to name Nigeria a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and for the US Congress to pass H.R. 220 in support of the State Department’s CPC previous designation,” according to von Schleppenbach, Principal Consultant Sovereign Global Solutions, LLC, a public affairs firm focusing on international religious freedom and human rights.
More Reactions
President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley (AUFBV), Chief Dennis Gbongbon, accused “Lakurawa bandits” and herders of the carnage.
His words: “Reports indicate over 62 IDPs and farmers were killed in Yelewata; several homes and shops were burnt. As I speak, about 85 percent of victims are IDPs who fled from places such as Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, and Giza, now hospitalised or missing.
“These IDPs are still farmers at heart. Even when displaced, terror found them. This is a terrifying escalation.”
Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Internal Security, Chief Joseph Har, confirmed the dual attack, saying: “I cannot give exact numbers yet as I was not on ground, but two separate incidents happened yesterday in Yelewata and Daudu.”
A military source, speaking anonymously, confirmed that two soldiers died. “We lost two military personnel in that attack,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command, in a statement by DSP Udeme Edet, acknowledged the incident, stating that tactical teams responded swiftly, engaged the assailants, and repelled the attack.
The statement read: “Some attackers were killed. It is with deep regret that we confirm civilian deaths and injuries. We are actively pursuing the attackers and will continue efforts to protect the public.”
Written with reports from TruthNigeria, Vanguard
