The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that at least 6,527 people have been displaced following deadly attacks on Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
The assaults, believed to have been carried out by suspected herders, left 59 residents dead, including women and children, and have triggered a large-scale humanitarian crisis.
In a statement posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, NEMA provided updated figures, revealing that the displaced include 1,768 females, 759 males, 657 children under 18, 1,870 adults, 252 lactating mothers, 82 pregnant women, and 91 elderly persons, spread across 1,069 households.
The agency warned that many of the displaced are in urgent need of food, clean water, essential medicines, and non-food items.
Casualty figures remain inconsistent due to the volatile security situation and limited access to affected areas, NEMA added. Rescue and recovery efforts are ongoing, and more accurate data is expected in the coming days.
The humanitarian response is being coordinated at a newly established Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp located at the Makurdi International Market, with support from the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Red Cross, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Tragically, while responding to the crisis, two Nigerian Army soldiers and one officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were ambushed and killed in nearby Daudu.
Additionally, 46 people were admitted to hospitals with injuries, out of which 20 later died. Medical personnel have since issued an urgent call for blood donations to assist in the treatment of survivors.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed the attack and noted that some of the attackers were neutralized during a gun battle.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened in the region with the deployment of more forces to prevent further violence.
The attack has drawn national and international condemnation. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and Pope Leo XIV were among those who denounced the killings and called for justice and peace.
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, in a statement on Sunday, confirmed the death toll and expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief, the governor dismissed claims that the state had been abandoned by the Federal Government, stating that military support had helped reduce attacks from affecting 17 local government areas to just three.
“This progress has only been possible through the full backing of the Federal Government,” Governor Alia emphasized.
As the state grapples with the immediate needs of thousands of displaced residents, humanitarian agencies have urged swift intervention to prevent the worsening of the crisis.
