The June 14 massacre in Yelwata, Benue State, left behind scorched homes, shattered lives, and over 5,000 displaced. Survivors of the herder terrorist attack—many now hospitalised or living in IDP camps—grapple with trauma, hunger and uncertainty. Once a vibrant farming community, Yelwata now lies in ruins, its people pleading for security, shelter and a chance to return to lives violently disrupted, reports SANNI ONOGU.
The brutal attack on Yelwata community by herder terrorists has left an indelible mark of horror on all who witnessed or heard of the tragedy. During a recent visit, our correspondent observed the devastating aftermath: unarmed peasant farmers were not only attacked and killed but their homes were set ablaze, reduced to smouldering ruins. Charred buckets, cooking utensils, and heaps of burnt newly harvested rice littered the remains of houses, courtyards, and surrounding areas. Corrugated iron roofs of shops—once bustling with rice and guinea corn trade—were either completely destroyed or collapsed, leaving walls caved in.
According to an eyewitness, this was not Yelwata’s first encounter with violence from suspected herders, but the June 14, 2025 attack was unparalleled in its scale of theft, killing, and destruction. The market settlement, once renowned for its vibrant trade, now stands deserted like a ghost town. Even domestic animals have vanished, signalling the extent of displacement. Only four men remained when our correspondent visited. Most survivors have been relocated to Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, while others receive medical care at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi.
“Things are very difficult for us now. There is no peace in our homes and community,” said Simeon Shaagwa, one of the four men our correspondent met in Yelwata. “It’s unbearable. We’re currently sleeping in the church and the primary school because we dare not sleep here—we don’t know when they will come back.” He added, “Just today, some family members went to farm but were pursued and shot at by herder terrorists. Luckily, they escaped and ran back. If the government can’t provide security, there’s no point in staying here.”
Simeon urged the government to provide effective security—one that can patrol at least a kilometre into the surrounding bushes so people can safely farm. “We can’t just sit here waiting for the government to feed us.” Regarding police presence, he said, “Yes, police are posted at the town’s north and west sides but they don’t patrol during the day or leave their posts. When incidents happen, our elders report to the soldiers who then tell us to inform the police. It’s very frustrating.”
While a few hospitalised victims and displaced families are tragic, it’s unacceptable to sack the whole community. Those who survived the Yelwata attack are either hospitalised or displaced to an IDP camp in Makurdi, about 50 kilometres from Yelwata. According to Aondowase Kunde, Commissioner of the Benue State Ministry of Humanitarian and Disaster Management, approximately 150 people were killed, while 117 others were hospitalized. The Head of Administration of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) added that over 5,000 members of the community are currently living in the IDP camp located at the International Market in Makurdi. International agencies are also supporting the Benue State government’s efforts to manage the crisis.
Speaking to our correspondent at his office in Makurdi, Kunde said, “The devastating incident of June 14th, 2025, when suspected Fulani attackers struck the Yelwata community, is now well known. Most of those killed were people who had fled from their communities and sought refuge in Yelwata. The attackers targeted their houses, the market, and shops where these displaced people were staying.
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“About 150 persons lost their lives, and 117 survivors were taken to Reverend Father Moses Adasu Teaching Hospital in Makurdi. At the time of the President’s visit, 55 with minor injuries had been discharged, leaving 62 patients, of whom about 30 remained hospitalised due to severe injuries. We have also established a clinic at the IDP camp in the International Market to provide immediate medical care. Cases beyond its capacity are referred to the teaching hospital under our Memorandum of Agreement. This referral system applies to all camps across the state,” he added.
Kunde emphasised that the Benue State government, led by Governor Hyacinth Alia, is prioritising the welfare of the displaced. “Following the attack, many displaced persons were wandering, but the government, through SEMA, deployed vehicles to transport them safely to the camp, which was officially opened on June 14th. Since then, we have been providing necessary supplies, and the situation escalated to the point that it prompted the President’s visit.
“International partners, including the EU, have recently been here, alongside federal agencies. We have also received generous support from churches, private individuals, and corporate organisations,” he said.
He said that after the incident and the establishment of the camp, the government donated relief materials including mattresses, food, and non-food items to the displaced persons. “Other partners like IOM helped set up mobile toilets and provided lighting for the camp. Our ‘Mama,’ the Secretary to the State Government, Deborah Aber, also paid the electricity bills because the people at the camp could not afford to pay NEPA bills, and power had been disconnected. She covered the amount requested to restore electricity for them.
“There are many other things we are doing. We ensure the provision of WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) services and various forms of assistance. We have even reached out to some chefs who voluntarily, with support from SEMA, cook meals for the displaced persons at the camp. Food must be prepared on-site. We don’t accept food brought from outside, but when someone comes through my ministry, we screen them, and they cook inside the camp under supervision by ministry staff and SEMA personnel. This is important because accepting outside food could be dangerous in the camp,” he explained.
He added that the ministry only accepts chefs who have been properly screened to support cooking for the IDPs. He expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his visit, saying, “He gave a presidential directive to arrest the perpetrators and to strengthen security in the affected areas. If you have been there, you would notice that the soldiers who were stationed before have been redeployed and replaced by a new team, accompanied by Mobile Policemen. The President has been following up on the implementation of these security measures.
“Last Thursday, we received the Minister of Internal Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Professor Netawe (Goshwe Yilwatda). One of the President’s directives was to liaise with the Benue State Government to set up a team for needs assessment and data collection at Yelwata and other camps—both formal and informal—to determine the root causes of the attack, assess what was destroyed, and understand the impact on livelihoods. This will help in planning the restoration of livelihoods and rebuilding the houses destroyed and burned in Yelwata,” he said.
Regarding the cause of the ongoing attacks, he said, “The primary cause is land grabbing by the herders. This is strange because in the past, we coexisted peacefully with the Fulani. However, these Fulani militias that came are deliberately here to grab Benue land. That is what is happening.” When asked about the timeline for rebuilding Yelwata and resettling the displaced persons, Kunde said, “The people and their leaders—the traditional rulers and community heads—have written to me expressing the need for their return, especially since this is farming season and they want to resume their livelihoods. They also commend the presence of security and want to come back soon. We are in ongoing consultations, doing due diligence and expanding these talks to ensure a smooth return. We believe they will go back soon.
“We don’t situate camps in the heart of towns because of the risk of infiltration. It’s difficult to distinguish between displaced persons and others once they come. We have to find ways to accommodate such complexities as well. We have started profiling them yesterday to see that those who want to go back will go back and those who could not go back there, we have camps. Some of the camps are empty. We relocate them to those camps and close this one at the International Market for now. That is the conversation that is ongoing. We will come out with solutions for what is appropriate and will still be communicated to the general public.”
On her part, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Benue State on Humanitarian Affairs, Mimidoo Kadev, said that since the incident on June 14th, those displaced have been moved by the Benue State government to the International Market IDPs Camp, “which is a temporary settlement.” Speaking to our correspondent during a visit to the camp, she highlighted the efforts being made to provide psychosocial and health support to the IDPs, preparing them to return to their normal lives in their local communities. “If I take you around the camp, you’ll notice that the highest population is women. There are more women, girls, and children here than men.
“When displacement occurs, women are mostly affected because their ability to earn a living—going to markets, managing home care, and caring for children—is disrupted. Many of them just sit quietly. Psychosocial support is very important—they need to talk, to express their feelings and emotions. If you go around, you’ll see some women with their hands on their faces, deep in thought, reflecting on what has happened and how they ended up in this situation. The good thing is that the government of Benue State has provided them a safe space where they are protected from further attacks and from being in the same environment where the trauma occurred.
“We have organisations supporting the state. UNICEF, for example, has done a lot in psychosocial support. Their volunteers visit daily and engage with these women. The Ministry of Women Affairs also has trained staff on site, providing activities like weaving, plating, and knitting to keep the women occupied and help distract them from their trauma.” She continued, “We also have UNFPA focusing on reproductive and sexual health. They offer guidance and regular talks on sanitation, self-care, and sexuality. In such confined settings, sexual activity often increases over time. Since this is natural, they teach the women how to protect themselves, especially because many girls may be vulnerable to abuse. We work with them on ways to stay safe.
“For the children, UNICEF has created safe spaces that include a makeshift school and play areas. There are about 25 volunteer teachers helping to educate the children through academics, sports, singing, dancing, and other activities to help them cope emotionally. While trauma cannot be healed immediately, these activities help suppress the worst effects. Some individuals experience suicidal thoughts. For example, there is a woman here who witnessed the killing of her four children and her mother. She is one of our most severely affected victims.
“She sometimes runs out of the camp saying she wants to die because she feels she can never recover. These individuals require constant emotional support. If left alone, without daily interaction and meaningful activities, the trauma and suicidal thoughts can worsen.”
She noted that the government is doing a lot to support the displaced persons through the provision of food, non-food items, sanitary products, wrappers, and clothes. “Support is coming from donors. Both partners and the government are doing a lot,” she said. She also confirmed that the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) is fully on the ground, managing the camp’s operations.
Regarding healthcare, she said the camp has recorded about 29 births since it was established. “Many women arrived here pregnant. We are still collecting data, so I don’t have a complete figure, but from the hospital reports, we have had 29 births since June 14th. Out of these, nine were pre-term. The trauma of displacement has pushed some women into early labour, resulting in pre-term babies who are currently in incubators at the teaching hospital. The government is managing their care, including feeding, clothing, medication, and everything else.
“The support has been good, and the government is doing its best. We are thankful to His Excellency the Governor, who calls daily, requests updates, and monitors the situation closely through our daily report group. So far, so good. God has been helping us,” she added.
In a separate interview, Dr. Donald Komgbenda, Head of Administration at Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), described the difficulties encountered managing the camp. “Since opening this camp, I can honestly say I haven’t had a good night’s sleep,” Komgbenda said. “There is significant pressure in coordinating and managing the camp. Our first priority on arrival was to profile the victims—to determine the number of women, girls, adults, and households.
This data is crucial for planning and responding to their specific needs.”
He revealed that there was initial resistance from the IDPs when they tried to profile them. “The displaced persons were anxious and apprehensive, almost to the point of protest, fearing that we might short-change them. However, we needed to cluster them demographically because different partner organisations focus on different groups. Some work with children, some with women; others with the elderly or breastfeeding mothers. As you can see, there is now relative calm in the camp,” he said.
On operational challenges, Komgbenda explained that the camp faces issues mainly related to health, logistics, and supplies. “When we arrived, this place was still a market with shops and no basic infrastructure like water, sanitation (WASH), or electricity. Moving people here was an emergency response, and many basic needs like mattresses were initially lacking. While we have managed to address some of these issues, others remain unresolved.
“As of today, there are about 5,294 displaced persons in the camp, comprising roughly 2,336 households. Although organisations have provided mattresses, they are still insufficient, and we are working to address this shortage. Many residents also lack cooking utensils. While food is being provided, it’s better if they cook for themselves, but they need the necessary tools. Health is a major concern. Since the camp opened two weeks ago, we have attended to about 2,000 patients, and the number keeps increasing daily. Fifteen women have given birth here, and there are currently 181 pregnant women in the camp. More serious cases are referred to the teaching hospital.”
“We have received some support in terms of drugs from NGOs and government partners. Notably, Mrs. Lillian Oghogho Musa, wife of the Chief of Defence Staff, visited and brought medical supplies, which have been helpful. However, the challenges persist, especially in providing adequate medications, doctors, and medical personnel to meet the growing needs,” Komgbenda concluded.