On Monday, August 11, 2025, suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked Yelwata village in Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State, killing at least three people and injuring three others with severe gunshot wounds, despite the presence of military forces in the region. The early morning assault, targeted farmers working on their land, sparking outrage among residents who accused soldiers of failing to respond promptly. Women from the Yelwata community protested by blocking the federal highway connecting Benue and Nasarawa states, demanding the withdrawal of soldiers they claimed neglected their duty, as confirmed by former government official Matthew Mnyam in a telephone interview. The state police commissioner and Guma LGA Chairman Maurice Orwough were on-site to address the unrest, with Orwough appealing for peace, though the state police spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, had not received an official report at the time of inquiry.
The attack follows a pattern of violence in Yelwata, with a June 2025 assault claiming over 100 lives, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and security personnel. Despite Benue’s Anti-Open Grazing Law and military deployments like Operation Whirl Stroke, the resurgence of such attacks has fueled criticism of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s security measures, with analysts like Godwin Odeh, Ph.D., pointing to the law’s lax enforcement as a contributing factor. Community leader Achii Mathias reported the attackers struck around 7 a.m., exploiting the area’s.
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