The people of Yelwata, a quiet community in Benue State, woke up to yet another day of fear and bloodshed on Monday as armed men opened fire, leaving several people injured.
According to eyewitnesses, the early morning assault plunged the town into panic. Within hours, angry women filled the streets, staging a protest to demand the withdrawal of soldiers stationed in the area. The demonstrators accused the government of failing to provide adequate security and called for immediate relocation to Makurdi, the state capital.
“We no longer feel safe here. If the government cannot protect us, they should take us to Makurdi,” one protester told reporters.
This fresh wave of violence comes less than two months after a devastating attack on June 13, when suspected herders stormed the community at night. That massacre claimed an estimated 200 lives, including internally displaced persons, with many victims burned alive in an hours-long orgy of violence.
The repeated assaults have left Yelwata residents living in constant fear, with community leaders warning that without urgent intervention, the bloodshed could escalate further.