At least 150 people have been confirmed dead following a brutal attack on Yelewata community in Nigeria’s Benue State over the week-end. Armed assailants stormed the village late Friday night, opening fire on sleeping residents and setting their homes ablaze.
Survivors revealed that many of those killed had been taking refuge in a local market after fleeing previous violence. Rescue efforts are ongoing as villagers continue to search for the missing amid charred debris.
While no group has claimed responsibility, the attack bears the hallmarks of the prolonged farmer-herder conflict that plagues Nigeria’s north-central region. Tensions between local farmers and Fulani herdsmen over land and water access have escalated in recent years, with more herders reportedly arming themselves. Farmers accuse the herders of destroying their crops, while herders argue their grazing routes are legally protected, dating back to a 1965 law.