Tension escalated in Benue State on Sunday as enraged youths took to the streets to protest continued killings in the region, blocking the ever-busy Abuja-Makurdi highway in a powerful display of anger and grief.
Clad in black and carrying placards with emotional messages, the protesters barricaded the road with palm fronds, effectively halting vehicular movement and creating major traffic gridlock.
The protest follows a deadly attack barely 24 hours earlier in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, where suspected armed herdsmen launched a late-night assault that reportedly left over 200 people dead.
The attack occurred around 10:00 p.m. on Friday, according to local sources, with many more sustaining serious injuries. As of Saturday morning, at least 16 individuals were confirmed injured, though the full death toll is still being verified by authorities gathering reports from the scene.
Security forces responding to a distress call were also targeted. Soldiers from the Nigerian Army and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were ambushed near Daudu while en route to the attack site, resulting in the deaths of two soldiers and one NSCDC officer.
The latest violence has sparked renewed outrage and calls for urgent government intervention to end the cycle of bloodshed in the state.
