The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has strongly condemned the killing of over 200 persons in the Yelewata and Daudu communities of Guma Local Government Area, Benue State, describing the attacks as a “senseless massacre” and a new low in human cruelty.
In a statement issued by the Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, over the weekend, CAPPA decried the silence of Federal and State authorities and criticized the inability of security forces to prevent or contain the violence, which left dozens wounded and hundreds displaced without access to shelter or medical care.
Eyewitnesses reported that armed assailants, suspected to be herders, stormed Yelewata in the early hours of Saturday with sophisticated weapons. The attackers allegedly set fire to shelters housing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), burning victims alive during a two-hour onslaught. In a separate incident in Daudu, at least five security personnel, comprising both police officers and soldiers, were reportedly killed in another coordinated attack.
“This atrocity, which defies comprehension, is the latest in a cycle of violence that has plagued Benue State for decades. What began as conflicts over land and grazing rights has now evolved into a campaign of terror, waged with impunity and seemingly aimed at the systematic annihilation of entire communities,” CAPPA stated.
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CAPPA warned that the implications of the attack stretch far beyond Benue State, highlighting what it described as a “collapse of basic government responsibility” and a deteriorating national security architecture. The organisation further condemned the response of security operatives to protests held by mourning residents, alleging that police fired tear gas at demonstrators demanding justice and protection.
“To compound the tragedy by turning weapons on grieving citizens is unconscionable. Such actions suggest a security apparatus that either cannot or will not differentiate between victims and perpetrators,” the statement said. The group criticized Governor Hyacinth Alia and the federal government for what it called “hollow rhetoric” on security, noting that repeated assurances have failed to deliver concrete solutions or meaningful protection for communities across Benue and other regions grappling with similar crises.
Calling for urgent and coordinated action, CAPPA urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Alia to convene a federal-state security summit. The organisation proposed the establishment of a dedicated task force to disarm herder militias, apprehend their leaders, and ensure transparent and speedy prosecution. CAPPA also recommended the formation of community-led peace councils comprising both farmers and herders to facilitate regular dialogue, negotiate land-use agreements, and resolve disputes peacefully.
Beyond immediate security measures, the organisation called for long-term structural reforms, including a nationwide transition to modern ranching systems and compulsory livestock registration to eliminate open grazing and trace cattle movements. Additionally, CAPPA demanded the creation of a victims’ compensation fund for affected communities, including those in Yelewata and Daudu.
It also emphasized the need for trauma counselling and material support for survivors. The group further called on the Nigeria Police Force to issue a formal apology to the affected communities and to adopt dialogue-based protocols for managing peaceful protests. “If all Nigerians are equal, then the right to life must be guaranteed for every citizen,” CAPPA stated. While warning that without swift intervention, Benue could descend into a vicious cycle of reprisals and entrenched violences.
