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Viewer Discretion Advised: At least 100 people have been killed after armed men launched a coordinated overnight attack on a Nigerian town, marking one of the deadliest attacks the region has seen in recent months.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, there’s been a long and deeply rooted history of violent clashes between herders and farmers in Nigeria, driven by competition over land and water resources. The herders, primarily from the Fulani ethnic group (one of the largest nomadic groups in the world), traditionally move with their cattle across regions in search of pasture. Due to deteriorating land conditions, herders have migrated, encroaching on farmlands occupied by sedentary communities. This movement has triggered frequent and often deadly confrontations, particularly in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where religious and ethnic divides exist—Muslim Fulani herders often clash with largely Christian farmers. These cycles of violence have led to thousands of deaths and massive displacement over the past decade.
Getting into it: According to Nigerian authorities, an overnight attack unfolded on Saturday in Yelwata and Daudu, two rural communities in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Initial reports from the police confirmed herders killed at least 100 people, but local eyewitnesses and community leaders have stated the true death toll could exceed 200, with entire families, including women, children, and the elderly, burned alive in their homes. According to Matthew Mnyan, a community leader and former aide to the ex-governor, attackers came from both the eastern and western flanks of the town, surrounding residents and launching a coordinated attack. He described scenes of horror: “They poured petrol and burnt people in their houses… We have a family of 15, some families of 12, men with their two wives, children—every one of them was burnt.”
The Benue State Police reported that tactical units were deployed and engaged the attackers in a gunfight, resulting in some attackers being killed. However, by the time reinforcements arrived, much of the destruction had already occurred. A senior military officer confirmed that two soldiers and a civil defense officer were killed, and a police officer remains missing.
Survivors and local leaders expressed frustration over what they see as a consistent failure by state and federal authorities to prevent or preempt attacks they claim were planned and even warned about days in advance. Former government aide Prince Aondona Isiaka, who lost 23 relatives, including children and elderly family members, described the killings as “unprovoked” and “executed with military precision.”
In response to the attacks, Pope Leo offered public condolences during his Sunday Angelus address, calling it a “terrible massacre.” Speaking from Vatican City, he said, “Around 200 people were brutally killed in Yelwata… most of them internally displaced persons sheltered by the local Catholic mission.” He went on to call for peace and protection for vulnerable communities, adding, “I pray for security, justice, and peace in Nigeria. My thoughts go in particular to the rural Christian communities of the Benue State who have been relentless victims of violence.”
