Gladness Gideon
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has strongly condemned the deadly attacks over the weekend in Benue State, Nigeria, where dozens of civilians were killed in their sleep during an overnight assault on the rural village of Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area.
In a statement delivered through Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, Guterres expressed grave concern over the brutal nature of the violence and stressed the need for justice.
“The Secretary-General condemns the killing of innocent civilians, including in Nigeria, and we hope that those responsible for this violence will be found and apprehended,” Haq said during a media briefing at UN Headquarters in New York. “We’re monitoring the situation closely.”
The weekend massacre, which also displaced numerous families, has added to a growing sense of insecurity in Nigeria’s North Central region, where communal tensions and armed violence have become increasingly frequent.
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Human rights organizations have called for transparent investigations and better protection for vulnerable rural communities across Nigeria, urging both national and international actors to step up efforts in preventing such atrocities.
The condemnations by the United Nations signal growing international concern over the spate of violence in Nigeria and a demand for accountability and peace.