The Benue State Government has confirmed that at least 107 victims of the brutal Yelwata community attack are still receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) in Makurdi.
The Permanent Secretary of the State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, James Iorpuu, revealed this during a press briefing in Makurdi on Tuesday. Iorpuu, who also serves as the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), described the attack as “unprecedented” and a grave tragedy that should never be repeated.
“What happened in Yelwata had not happened anywhere in the world and should never happen again to any community,” Iorpuu said solemnly.
According to Hobnob News, the attack, which occurred on June 13, was carried out by suspected bandits who stormed the Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area, killing over 200 people and displacing hundreds more.
Iorpuu lamented that the state has been plagued by sustained and coordinated assaults by armed groups since 2011, resulting in countless deaths and humanitarian crises across several communities.
He called on the federal government and international agencies to intervene and support the state’s efforts in caring for the wounded and displaced, while also ensuring that such massacres are prevented in the future.
