Protests Erupt in Benue Over Escalating Killings as Youths Block Abuja-Makurdi Highway
By Chukwuebuka Chukwuemeka
MAKURDI, BENUE STATE — Tension
reached a boiling point in Benue State on Sunday, June 15, as hundreds of
enraged youths took to the streets in a massive protest against the unending
killings ravaging their communities. Clad in black attire and waving palm
fronds, the demonstrators blocked the busy Abuja-Makurdi highway and paralyzed
movement around the Wurukum Food Basket Roundabout in Makurdi.
The protest comes in the wake of
a fresh wave of brutal attacks across the state, including a massacre in
Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area where over 200 people were
reportedly killed by suspected armed herdsmen. Just days earlier, another set
of overnight attacks on Mtswenem and Akondotyough Bawa in Makurdi LGA, and
Agbami and Kenvanger in Katsina-Ala LGA, left at least 26 people dead—many
hacked in their sleep. Witnesses told onzanews that women and children
were among the victims, while others are still missing.
Carrying placards with
inscriptions such as "Stop the Bloodshed", "We are
Tired of Massacres", and "Justice for Benue", the
demonstrators demanded urgent intervention from both federal and state
governments. They rejected attempts by Benue’s Deputy Governor, Sam Ode, to
address them, insisting that Governor Hyacinth Alia must appear in person. The
protest escalated into a tense standoff when security forces, including police
and soldiers, attempted to disperse the crowd using teargas, but the youths
remained undeterred.
"This is beyond politics. We
are being killed every day and nothing is being done. The government must act
now," one protester shouted amid chants for justice.
Governor Alia, represented by
Deputy Governor Ode during a condolence visit to Yelewata, condemned the
killings, calling them inexcusable. He assured residents that more tactical
teams were arriving from the federal government and promised tighter security
in vulnerable areas. Despite these assurances, frustration continues to grow.
The protest highlights
deep-seated anger over the government’s perceived failure to halt the wave of
violence. According to reports, at least 270 people have been killed in Benue
in the past two months alone. Entire villages have been reduced to rubble,
families torn apart, and thousands displaced in what residents now describe as
a humanitarian disaster.
Police spokesperson SP Udeme Edet
confirmed that operatives had been dispatched to the recently attacked areas in
Makurdi, though she said no official report had yet been received regarding the
Katsina-Ala killings.
The Benue State Government had
earlier warned against unlawful protests, but the overwhelming sense of
abandonment among residents has led many to defy such orders. "We are
tired of mass graves. We are tired of promises. We want action!" another
youth declared on Sunday.
As security operatives continue
to patrol the tense zones and communities mourn their dead, all eyes are now on
President Bola Tinubu and Governor Alia for decisive action. The people of
Benue are no longer content with rhetorics, they demand peace, protection, and
justice.
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