A horrific and deadly attack on Yelewata community in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State has left over 100 people feared dead, with 107 bodies already recovered as of Saturday afternoon. The brutal assault by suspected armed invaders, believed to be herdsmen or bandits, occurred in the early hours of Saturday, around midnight, and lasted for over two hours, wreaking widespread havoc and devastation.

Witnesses described a scene of unimaginable horror, with many victims burnt beyond recognition after assailants poured petrol on shelters and set them ablaze while people slept. Others were hacked to death with cutlasses in their homes. Residents reported perceiving the smell of roasted human flesh as they searched through debris for missing loved ones. Among the dead were women, children, the elderly, and internally displaced persons (IDPs).

A significant number of the victims were IDPs who had sought refuge in market stalls and shops along the road in Yelewata, having fled earlier attacks in communities such as Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, and Giza. These vulnerable individuals, still farmers by livelihood, were targeted even in their places of temporary safety. A Guma local government staff, preferring anonymity, described the massacre as an