ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, on Sunday confirmed the killing of 59 people in a fresh attack on Yelwata, a border town between Benue and Nasarawa states, allegedly carried out by suspected herdsmen from Nasarawa State.
Speaking to journalists at the Government House in Makurdi, Governor Alia said the death toll was verified through physical headcounts conducted by security agencies working in collaboration with the families of the victims.
According to Channels TV, he disclosed that among the dead were military and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) personnel who tried to defend the Yelwata community during the assault.
The governor acknowledged the role of Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, who provided intelligence on the incident.
Alia revealed that one woman was also killed on the Nasarawa side of the border.
The attack, which occurred late Friday night, prompted widespread outrage across the state and beyond.
Earlier on Sunday, Governor Alia received a report from a panel of inquiry set up to investigate militia activities in the Sankera axis.
He vowed to hand over the findings to appropriate authorities and ensure that all those implicated are properly investigated, with the ultimate goal of restoring lasting peace to the volatile region.
Also reacting to the killings, Pope Leo XIV strongly condemned the massacre during his remarks at the Sunday Angelus prayer in the Vatican.
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Describing the incident as a “terrible massacre,” the Pope said that mostly displaced civilians were “murdered with extreme cruelty.”
He added: “I pray for security, justice, and peace in Nigeria. I especially lift up the rural Christian communities in Benue who have remained relentless victims of violence.”
Meanwhile, protests erupted in Makurdi on Sunday as angry youths took to the streets to demand justice for the slain residents of Yelwata. The demonstrators gathered at the Wurukum Food Basket Roundabout as early as 8 a.m., holding placards and chanting slogans to denounce the continued killings in the state.
Among the protesters was popular social media activist, Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan, who joined the crowd in demanding urgent government action.
Responding to the outrage, Presidential Spokesman, Bayo Onanuga issued a statement announcing that President Bola Tinubu had directed security chiefs to enforce his earlier mandate to restore lasting peace in Benue State.
According to Onanuga: “On the president’s directive, intelligence chiefs, the police, and the military have moved into the state to take over security operations and restore sanity.”