Christian Solidarity Worldwide – Nigeria (CSW-N), a UK-based faith organisation, has strongly condemned the recent mass killing in Yelewata, a community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, calling for immediate and decisive government intervention.
The attack, which occurred on Saturday, June 14, 2025, left at least 100 people dead, with some estimates placing the death toll at over 200.
Most of the victims were internally displaced persons who had earlier fled violence in nearby communities like Antsa, Dooka, and Kadarko.
CSW-N’s Chief Executive Officer, Rev. Yunusa Nmadu, described the continued assaults as a coordinated campaign to wipe out entire communities in rural Benue.
He said residents are now facing an existential threat from armed herdsmen.
“It’s heartbreaking to see Benue, once known as the food basket of the nation, struggling with hunger because its people can no longer access or cultivate their farmlands,” Nmadu said.
Calling for urgent state and federal government intervention, Nmadu criticised the authorities for offering only “rhetoric and perfunctory condemnation” while lives are being lost.
“The federal government must move beyond mere words.
It is time for sincere and determined action to stop these killings, not only in Benue but across all affected regions of the country,” he stated.
In a statement released by CSW-N’s Press and Research Officer, Reuben Buhari, the organisation expressed deep concern over the sustained wave of violence that has plagued Benue for years.
“According to a June 14 report by Daily Trust, 270 people were killed in Benue between April 1 and June 1, 2025, across 10 local government areas,” the group noted.
“In total, over 5,700 lives have been lost in the state since 2011, displacing more than 150,000 people, according to the Benue NGOs Network.”
CSW-N emphasised that the continued bloodshed is “unnecessary and preventable” if the government acts decisively.
It warned that the attacks—once limited to Nigeria’s Middle Belt—are now spreading into other regions, fueled by a culture of impunity.
“The silence and inaction are enabling these atrocities,” CSW-N said, reiterating its call for meaningful security reforms and protection for vulnerable communities.