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Wednesday, July 16, 2025

107 victims still hospitalised after suspected herdsmen attack on Benue community: Official

Suspected bandits attacked and killed over 100 people in the Yelwata community on June 13.

• July 15, 2025
Community attacked by herdsmen
Community attacked by herdsmen[Credit: X.com]

The Benue State government, on Tuesday, said 107 Yelwata victims were still receiving treatment at the Benue State Teaching Hospital in Makurdi.

The permanent secretary, Benue Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, James Iorpuu, disclosed this at a news briefing in Makurdi.

Suspected herdsmen attacked and killed over 100 people in the Yelwata community on June 13.

Mr Iorpuu, who is also the executive secretary, Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said the state had witnessed sustained, coordinated fatal attacks since 2011 by bandits.

He prayed that what happened at Yelwata, which, he said, “had not happened anywhere in the world, should never happen again to any community.”

He commended his counterparts in Nasarawa and Plateau for coming to pay their condolences to the agency and state over the gruesome incident.

Earlier, the executive secretary of the Plateau SEMA, Sunday Abdu, and the director-general of Nasarawa SEMA, Ben Akwash, said they were in Benue on a solidarity visit.

Mr Abdu said they came to express their condolences to Benue SEMA and the people of the state over the Yelwata attack.

He assured the people that Benue and the country would continue to soar higher regardless of the aggression.

Mr Abdu said they were also in the state to understudy the agency’s operations so they could develop their own.

He urged the people to continue to pray for North-Central to overcome the incessant attacks on innocent citizens of the country.

Also, Mr Akwash, while sympathising with Benue people over the attack, said that Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau were one entity before their separation through state creation.

He also said they came to understudy the operations of Benue SEMA, so that they could make some adjustments and improvements in their state.

(NAN)

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