Renewed Violence Sparks Fear and Protests in Yelwata Community, Benue State
A wave of fear and unrest has enveloped the Yelwata community in Benue State following a fresh attack by unidentified gunmen in the early hours of Monday. According to local sources, several lives were lost in the deadly assault, plunging the already tense community into deeper chaos and insecurity.
Eyewitness accounts report that the latest act of violence has triggered widespread outrage among residents, particularly among women, who staged a protest in response to what they described as continued neglect and failure of security forces to protect them. The protesting women, visibly distraught and angry, demanded that the military personnel currently stationed in the area be recalled to their barracks, accusing them of failing to prevent the latest bloodshed.
Security of Yelwata indigenes compromised
Carrying placards and chanting slogans, the demonstrators also urged authorities to arrange immediate transportation for them to Makurdi, the Benue State capital. They insisted that remaining in Yelwata posed a serious threat to their lives and that they had lost all faith in the government’s ability to ensure their safety.
“We are no longer safe here. Let them take us to Makurdi, because it is clear that the government cannot protect us,” one protester said during the demonstration.
Last attack by Gunmen in Yelewata
This recent attack comes less than two months after a similarly horrifying incident rocked the same community. On June 13, gunmen—believed by many to be armed herdsmen—launched a brutal nighttime assault on Yelwata, resulting in the massacre of an estimated 200 people. Victims of that earlier attack included internally displaced persons (IDPs), many of whom were burned alive in what residents described as one of the most gruesome and inhumane episodes of violence the area has ever witnessed.
The recurrence of such devastating attacks has left the community traumatized and feeling abandoned by the authorities. Calls are growing louder for more decisive action from both state and federal governments to address the escalating security crisis in Benue and protect vulnerable rural populations.
As the situation continues to deteriorate, many fear further attacks may be imminent unless urgent security interventions are implemented. Meanwhile, human rights organizations and civil society groups are urging the government to investigate the attacks thoroughly and provide adequate support for survivors who have been displaced and traumatized by the violence.
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