Tragedy in Yelewata, Benue: Over 200 Feared Unalive in Fresh Attack by Alleged Herders Gunmen.

Yelewata, Benue State — June 14, 2025.

Nigeria is once again thrown into mourning as the community of Yelewata in Benue State was ransacked last night in a brutal and coordinated attack allegedly carried out by suspected herders gunmen.

In a horrifying incident that unfolded around 10:00 PM, armed assailants reportedly stormed a nearby police station, launching a diversionary attack to incapacitate security forces while a separate group moved systematically through residential areas.

According to eyewitness accounts captured in a fresh video update uploaded by Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, the gunmen moved house to house, setting homes ablaze with residents trapped inside — many of whom were innocent children who had already gone to bed. Victims were burned alive in the night’s onslaught. As at the time of this report, the actual unaliving figure remains unconfirmed, but early estimates suggest that over 200 people may have been unalived in the carnage.

The air in Yelewata is thick with grief and despair, as families search through charred ruins for loved ones. Many residents who survived the attack are left homeless, traumatized, and fearful of what the next night may bring. Sadly, this is not an isolated event but part of a growing pattern of insecurity that has plagued many communities across Benue State and Nigeria at large.

VeryDarkMan, in his video, decried the deafening silence of mainstream media, calling out their absence at the scene. He emphasized that without proper media coverage, the scale of the tragedy may remain hidden from national and international attention, and the cries of the victims may go unheard. “Let the government and Nigerians see what ordinary citizens are passing through in this hard economy,” he lamented.

For many in Benue, sleeping with both eyes closed has become a luxury long lost to the wave of violent attacks and unchecked lawlessness sweeping through rural communities.
The audacity and cruelty displayed in the Yelewata attack highlight the alarming erosion of security and the failure of government institutions to protect lives and property.

This report serves as a passionate appeal to the Federal Government, the Benue State Government, security agencies, humanitarian organizations, and concerned individuals both within and outside Nigeria: the people of Yelewata — and Benue State at large — urgently need help. Immediate intervention is critical to address not only the humanitarian crisis but also to restore confidence in the ability of the Nigerian state to safeguard its citizens.

The nation watches, the victims cry, and history records.