Fresh details have emerged following a devastating and coordinated assault on the Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State in the early hours of Saturday, leaving scores dead, homes destroyed, and survivors in mourning.
According to Hobnob News findings, suspected armed herdsmen stormed the town around dawn, executing a highly organized offensive that caught residents and local security forces by surprise.
Sources on the ground report that the attackers split into three armed groups, penetrating Yelewata from multiple directions to overwhelm resistance. The assault reportedly commenced through Tse Ate, a track leading to Agugu Igbaakombo, while another group infiltrated through a path behind the community’s central market square. The third group approached from the rear, targeting the residential and commercial heart of the community.
“They came like a military squad,” said one resident who survived the onslaught. “They opened fire in turns, confusing everyone and making it hard to tell where the bullets were coming from.”
Efforts by local youths and police personnel to resist the assault were met with stiff opposition. Witnesses described the attackers as well-armed and tactically organized, using a rotational shooting strategy to scatter the community’s defenses.
In a statement provided by Comrade Joseph Apahar Joo, Media and Publicity Officer for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) unit in Benue State, it was revealed that the third wave of attackers specifically targeted shops where residents were sleeping overnight—many of them farmers and traders.
“Those who tried to escape were chased and killed,” said Comrade Joo. “Others couldn’t even come out. The attackers had already sprayed fuel on the doors and set buildings ablaze while people were still inside.”
Entire families perished in the inferno, with homes, shops, food stores, and farm produce razed to the ground. Survivors reported hearing cries from burning buildings, but rescue efforts were impossible due to the sheer intensity of the violence and the risk of being targeted themselves.
Yelewata, long known as a community of strong resistance against previous acts of aggression in Benue, is now reeling from what locals say is the worst attack in its history.
“Yelewata has faced attacks before, but never anything like this. This was not just an attack. This was a total invasion and destruction of our lives,” said a local elder.
The death toll has not been officially confirmed, but initial estimates suggest dozens may have been killed, while many more remain missing or critically injured. Emergency responders and humanitarian workers are currently working to evacuate survivors and provide aid to displaced residents.
Community leaders and civil society organizations have called on both the Benue State Government and the Federal Government to urgently intervene, not just with relief but with concrete action to protect vulnerable communities facing recurrent violence.
As of press time, no official arrests or claims of responsibility have been made. However, police authorities have confirmed that an investigation is underway and that security has been reinforced in the affected areas.
Residents remain in a state of trauma and fear, calling for international attention and immediate protection to prevent further bloodshed.
“This is not just a local problem anymore,” Comrade Joo emphasized. “This is an attack on humanity. How many more communities must burn before something is done?”
Hobnob News will continue to monitor developments from Yelewata and provide updates as more information becomes available.
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