More than a month after a brutal attack on Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, 107 survivors remain hospitalised, still battling wounds inflicted by armed assailants.
This was confirmed Tuesday by James Iorpuu, the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), who described the June 13 assault as “massive carnage.”
Speaking at a joint press conference in Makurdi with his counterparts from Nasarawa and Plateau states, Iorpuu – who also serves as the Permanent Secretary of the Benue Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management – expressed deep concern over the recurring violence in rural parts of the state.
“The level of destruction in Yelwata is tragic,” he said. “So far, 107 victims are still undergoing treatment at Benue State University Teaching Hospital and other medical centres. That attack alone claimed over 200 lives.”
Flanked by emergency officials from neighbouring states, Iorpuu called for a united regional effort to address insecurity. “We are going to work together as a team,” he said, “especially because these attackers often pass through Nasarawa State to reach us in Benue.”
His remarks echoed a shared sentiment from his counterparts, who visited the state to show solidarity and initiate collaboration against further violence.
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Ben Akwash, Director General of the Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency, expressed condolences and emphasized the need for coordinated action. “This tragedy is not just Benue’s; it affects the entire North Central. We must unite to confront this violence and also plan for other risks like flooding.”
Similarly, Sunday Abdu, Executive Secretary of the Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, acknowledged Benue’s longstanding suffering. “The aggression you’ve experienced is not isolated. Plateau has also been affected, and we stand with you,” he said. “We are here to learn from your humanitarian response and lend our strength.”
The joint visit underscores growing concern over the unchecked escalation of armed violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where rural communities remain vulnerable and overstretched emergency services struggle to keep up.
As calls for regional security cooperation intensify, many local leaders continue to press for the establishment of state police to tackle the crisis at the grassroots level.