About 200 people, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), five security personnel, women, children, and community members, were killed in a fresh coordinated attack by suspected herdsmen on Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

The assailants struck late on Friday night, according to residents who said they had received advance warnings of impending attacks by marauding fighters.

Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed Yelewata from both the eastern and western flanks, overpowering police and youth defenders before unleashing violence on defenceless IDPs in market stalls and nearby homes.

Several houses and market stalls were set ablaze after being doused with petrol. Many victims, some described as toddlers, were reportedly “slaughtered like animals.”

Another group of attackers was said to have descended on Daudu. Although youths and security personnel mounted a fierce resistance, at least five officers, including policemen and soldiers, were confirmed killed.

Mr. Matthew Mnyan, a Yelewata community leader and former Acting Chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), who spoke emotionally, described the incident as “a dark day” for the local population.

He said: “It began around 11 pm when they emerged from the western side, opening fire. Our youths and police resisted. Then another group attacked from the east and overwhelmed them.

“They killed people, set stalls ablaze with petrol, and burnt homes. Displaced individuals from Branch Udei and surrounding villages were inside those stalls. Shockingly, none of the soldiers intervened to protect them.

“We’ve recorded over 200 fatalities—families of 12, 15 people, including husbands, wives, and children, have all been consumed by fire. About 46 wounded were taken to hospital; so far, 20 have died.”
Mnyan said the operation appeared premeditated and well-coordinated.

He added: “We had prior alerts from Nasarawa State regarding attacks on Yelewata, Ukoho, Ortese, Yogbo, and Daudu. This was carried out simultaneously.

“Daudu’s defenders managed to repel the herd, but five soldiers and police personnel died. One was a Captain. We understand that over 300 assailants had camped near Daudu.

“The assailants seek to seize land. On Yelewata’s east side, Fulanis have occupied farmland and are refusing entry to others. That coordination from east and west was deliberate.”

Mnyan further said the community briefly considered moving corpses to the main road in protest but abandoned the plan after recalling past incidents that resulted in additional fatalities.

President of the Association of United Farmers Benue Valley (AUFBV), Chief Dennis Gbongbon, accused “Lakurawa bandits” and herders of the carnage.

His words: “Reports indicate over 62 IDPs and farmers were killed in Yelewata; several homes and shops were burnt. As I speak, about 85 percent of victims are IDPs who fled from places such as Antsa, Dooka, Kadarko, and Giza, now hospitalised or missing.

“These IDPs are still farmers at heart. Even when displaced, terror found them. This is a terrifying escalation.”

Special Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Internal Security, Chief Joseph Har, confirmed the dual attack.

He said: “I cannot give exact numbers yet as I was not on ground, but two separate incidents happened yesterday in Yelewata and Daudu.”

A military source, speaking anonymously, confirmed that two soldiers died. “We lost two military personnel in that attack,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Benue State Police Command, in a statement by DSP Udeme Edet, acknowledged the incident, stating that tactical teams responded swiftly, engaged the assailants, and repelled the attack.
The statement read: “Some attackers were killed.

“It is with deep regret that we confirm civilian deaths and injuries. We are actively pursuing the attackers and will continue efforts to protect the public.”

Recurring Attacks

Benue State has long been a flashpoint for violent clashes between herdsmen and farming communities.
Over the last decade, hundreds of lives have been lost to such attacks, especially in local government areas like Guma, Logo, and Agatu.

The violence, often attributed to disputes over land and grazing routes, has led to mass displacement, with many residents forced into IDP camps across the state. Despite repeated calls for federal intervention and several military operations in the area, attacks have persisted, fuelling a humanitarian crisis and widespread insecurity.

Five persons have been electrocuted and thirteen others injured following a high-voltage surge in the Tudun-Wadan Pantami community of Gombe Metropolis in the early hours of Saturday.

The Gombe State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement released by the Command’s spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi.

According to him, the tragic event occurred due to a power surge from a nearby electricity transformer.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the unfortunate incident claimed the lives of five individuals, while 13 others sustained various degrees of injuries,” Abdullahi stated.

He said officers from the Low-cost Divisional Police Headquarters responded promptly, securing the area and evacuating victims for medical attention.

“The injured victims are currently receiving medical attention at different health facilities within the state,” he added.

“The deceased have been deposited at the following morgues: three at the Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) Gombe, one at the State Specialist Hospital and one at Bolari Filin Kwallo Mortuary.”

On behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Bello Yahaya, Mr Abdullahi expressed deep sympathy to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a quick recovery.

He further assured the public that “a thorough investigation would be conducted to ascertain the cause of the surge and ensure accountability where necessary.”

“Members of the public are urged to remain calm and cooperate with emergency and investigation teams as efforts are being made to prevent future occurrences.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared the Managing Director of Fargo Petroleum and Gas Limited, Seun Ogunbambo, wanted for allegedly defrauding the Federal Government of N976.65 million through bogus oil subsidy claims.

The EFCC made the announcement in a public notice issued on Friday, describing Ogunbambo as a fugitive from justice after he reportedly jumped bail and disappeared while standing trial before a Lagos State High Court.

According to the notice signed by the Head of Media and Publicity for the commission, Dele Oyewale, Ogunbambo was facing prosecution alongside co-defendants, Mamman Ali and Christian Taylor, who were convicted and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment each by the court on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, for their roles in the scam.

“The suspect vanished after being granted bail and has since failed to appear in court,” the EFCC said, warning the public against shielding him.

The alleged subsidy scam involves N976,653,110,28, which the EFCC said was fraudulently claimed as payment for petroleum products that were never delivered.

Ogunbambo, described as light complexioned and fluent in both English and Yoruba, was said to have last been traced to 2, Olamijuyuan Crescent, Ikoyi, Lagos.

The commission called on anyone with information about his whereabouts to report to its offices in Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Gombe, Port Harcourt, Ibadan, Benin, Kaduna, Sokoto, Makurdi, Ilorin, Maiduguri, Uyo or Abuja.