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Local government

Mass Killings in Benue State: Lawyers Alert Condemns Atrocities and Calls for Urgent Action

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The recent mass killing of over 200 defenceless persons in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on June 14, 2025 has left a trail of death and devastation. Lawyers Alert, a non-governmental organization, has expressed deep sorrow and condemnation of the heinous attack, which primarily targeted Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The organization has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deploy a military battalion to protect Benue communities and establish a special intervention fund to track and prosecute the perpetrators.

Key Takeaways:

  • The mass killing of over 200 defenceless persons in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on June 14, 2025 has been condemned by Lawyers Alert as a gross violation of the right to life.
  • The attack primarily targeted IDPs, with over 90% of the victims being IDPs who had fled similar attacks in the past.
  • The organization has accused the federal government of failing to investigate or prosecute the perpetrators, despite over 1,000 deaths in Benue in the past year due to similar attacks.
  • Lawyers Alert has also criticized President Tinubu's call for reconciliation between "warring communities", saying it demonstrates a misreading of the situation and that the attacks are part of a larger campaign of ethnic cleansing and land grabbing.
  • The organization has called on the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to show leadership and empathy in responding to the crisis.
  • Lawyers Alert has advocated for rights-based, community-led approaches to public safety, citing the success of the Community Policing and Accountability Project in Guma and Katsina-Ala LGAs.
  • The organization has also urged federal and state governments to replicate and invest in Community Policing Committees (CPCs) as provided in the Police Act 2020.

Statistics:

  • Over 200 defenceless persons were killed in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on June 14, 2025.
  • Over 90% of the victims were IDPs.
  • Over 1,000 deaths have occurred in Benue in the past year due to similar attacks.
  • Despite over 1,000 deaths, no arrests, prosecutions, or credible investigations have been carried out.

Sources:

  • "Lawyers Alert Condemns Attack on IDPs in Benue" (Lawyers Alert, June 2025)
  • "Benue Crisis: Lawyers Alert Wants Deployment of Military Battalion" (Punch, June 2025)

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