An overnight attack by armed bandits in Yelwata, a town in Nigeria’s central Benue State, has resulted in the confirmed deaths of at least 45 people, a spokesman for the state governor’s office reported on Saturday.
Residents, however, fear the true death toll could be significantly higher, with some estimating around 100 fatalities and many houses burned.
Eyewitness accounts describe a horrific scene; one resident, Christian Msuega, managed to escape but lost his sister and brother-in-law, who were reportedly burned alive.
Msuega, like others, attributed the attack to Fulani herdsmen. The region, part of Nigeria’s central belt, has a history of clashes between Muslim ethnic Fulani nomadic herders and settled farmers, many of whom are Christian, over land and resources, with such conflicts often fuelled by religious or ethnic differences.
Police spokesperson Udeme Edet confirmed the incident, stating that law enforcement engaged the attackers in a gun battle.
The governor’s spokesman, Tersoo Kula, detailed that the “confirmed attack on the Yelwata community… occurred around 10:00 pm (2100 GMT) and lasted for about two hours,” leading to casualties and numerous burnt homes.
Kula added that government officials and the police commissioner had visited Yelwata and verified the 45 deaths.
This incident follows another attack two weeks prior in Benue state, where gunmen killed 25 people in two separate assaults.
