Former Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, has issued a scathing condemnation of the horrific massacre in Yelewata, a community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where over 200 people were reportedly killed in a brutal overnight assault.
In a statement released on Sunday, Saraki described the incident as “tragic, terrifying, and unacceptable,” expressing outrage at the level of violence unleashed on innocent civilians — many of whom were Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) seeking refuge from earlier conflicts.
According to eyewitness accounts and local reports, the attack was a coordinated night raid during which victims were ambushed, butchered, and in some cases, burned alive. Saraki disclosed that in a second wave of violence, soldiers responding to the attack were also killed, further deepening the tragedy.
“The cruellest detail,” Saraki said, “is that the majority of the victims were Internally Displaced Persons. They had already fled their ancestral homes seeking refuge, only for that terror to hunt them down in a place of supposed safety.”
Calling the massacre a national disgrace, Saraki demanded an immediate and comprehensive overhaul of the country’s security architecture, particularly in the volatile Benue-Nasarawa corridor and the broader North Central region.
“We need more than words. We need action,” Saraki urged. “Security agencies must act swiftly to apprehend those responsible for this barbarity and ensure they face the full weight of the law.”
He extended his condolences to Governor Hyacinth Alia, the government, and the people of Benue State, assuring them of his solidarity in this moment of grief.
“This is a moment for action, not silence. We must not let such barbarity become the norm,” Saraki concluded.
The massacre in Yelewata adds to a growing list of violent incidents in the region, reigniting calls for greater accountability, intelligence coordination, and political will to confront Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
