Gunmen Kill at Least 100 People in Nigeria’s Benue State, Amnesty International Says

 

At least 100 people have been killed in a deadly attack by gunmen on a village in Nigeria’s central Benue state, according to Amnesty International Nigeria. The assault occurred from late Friday into early Saturday in the village of Yelewata, leaving numerous families displaced and dozens injured, many of whom lack access to adequate medical care.

Amnesty International reported that many victims were locked inside their homes and burned alive during the attack. The incident exacerbates ongoing violence in the region, which lies in Nigeria's Middle Belt, an area where conflicts over land use have long fueled tension between herders and farmers, often along ethnic and religious lines.

see also: (In Nigeria) Yelewata Mourns as Over 200 Killed in Benue Massacre, Youths Demand Government Action Against Suspected Herdsmen

Benue has experienced recurrent violence linked to clashes between Muslim herders and Christian farmers over grazing rights and arable land. Last month, a separate attack in Gwer West district left at least 42 people dead, suspected to be carried out by herders.

Since 2019, ongoing conflicts in Nigeria’s Middle Belt have claimed over 500 lives and displaced more than 2.2 million people, according to research firm SBM Intelligence. The situation remains unstable as communities continue to grapple with violence rooted in land disputes and ethnic tensions.