The village of Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, has become the latest site of mass tragedy in Nigeria following a coordinated overnight attack by suspected armed herdsmen that left more than 200 people dead and dozens more injured and displaced.

The attack, which took place in the early hours of June 14, targeted Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) shelters and residential homes in the area. Eyewitnesses account say the assailants stormed the community from multiple entry points, torching homes, opening fire on sleeping residents, and trapping many inside burning buildings.

Local security volunteers described the scene as “a war zone,” with charred bodies recovered from the remains of burnt homes and many still unaccounted for. Entire families were wiped out in what locals now refer to as “a night of hell.”

The Benue State Government has confirmed the killings and has called for increased federal security presence in the region. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, during a visit to Benue on June 16, condemned the killings as “senseless bloodletting” and promised that “those responsible will be brought to justice.” The attack has since drawn sharp condemnation from Amnesty International, local civil society groups, and human rights observers.

READ ALSO: Benue Killings: I Expect Arrests, Tinubu Directs Security Chiefs

– A Family Torn Apart, Twice –

Among the survivors is Olumide Michael Makinde, a 39-year-old father of two who says this is the second time he has narrowly escaped death in Nigeria.

Makinde was living in Owo, Ondo State, in 2022 when St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church was attacked during Pentecost Sunday Mass. Over 50 worshippers were killed in the Owo church massacre, including his stepfather, Mr. Maxmillian Ogunleye. His mother was among the dozens injured and left permanently incapacitated.

“The whole town was shaking. I lost my father. My mother never walked again after that,” Makinde recalled.

Fearing for their safety, Makinde, his pregnant wife, and their young son fled Owo in the aftermath of the attack and settled in Yelewata, where they hoped to start over. The family began farming, enrolled their first child in school, and welcomed a new baby girl in January 2023. For a while, peace returned, until the massacre of June 14 changed everything.

Makinde recounted the horrifying night his family was torn apart once again.

“We were sleeping when we heard gunshots. Everything was on fire. People were screaming. I grabbed my son and ran into the bush. My wife, holding our baby, ran in another direction,” he said.

Hours later, at dawn, he found his wife bleeding and crying, lying in a pool of blood. She had been raped by two attackers while hiding in the bush.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: ‘I Lost 20 Family Members In Benue Attacks,’ Survivor Recounts Ordeal

“She survived only because she was holding our baby,” he said, visibly shaken.

Makinde rushed her to a nearby hospital while the fires still raged in Yelewata. When he returned to what used to be their shelter, it was gone. So was nearly every home in the area. The camp had been burned to ashes, entire families reduced to nothing but smoke and silence.

– No Place Left to Run –

Today, the Makinde family, like many others in Yelewata, is devastated, emotionally, physically, and psychologically. The trauma of surviving two massacres has left deep scars.

“We have nowhere to go. We’ve run twice. We’ve lost everything. My wife… she can’t even talk about what happened,” Makinde said, holding back tears.

Their belongings, livelihood, and sense of peace have all been lost, first in Owo, now in Benue. More than anything, the family says they live in fear. The fear of what might come next. The fear of being forgotten. The fear of being attacked again.

“People think we’re just IDPs,” he added. “But we are people who have been hunted twice.”

For survivors like the Makindes, the massacre at Yelewata is more than just another tragic headline. It is a daily reminder of how fragile life has become in many parts of Nigeria, where homes are turned to graves, and families carry trauma they may never fully recover from.

By Dayo Adesina|Ibadan

Two young men suspected to be involved in homosexual activities were on Thursday, 12 September, 2024 beaten by an angry mob, as they described the act (homosexuality) as abominable and sinful.

The suspects, Oluwafemi Azeez Adeola and his partner; Odeleye Adewale Abel were caught at a hotel (name withheld) when a hotel attendant went to perform room service at the room where they were lodged.

The attendant had reportedly informed the hotel authorities of the ‘atrocity’ being performed in one of the rooms.

The ensuing pandemonium threw the premises into turmoil as other hotel guests and angry youths rushed to the room, held them and started pouncing on the two suspects.

READ ALSO: Homosexuality: Why I Resigned From United Methodist Church – Nigerian Bishop

One of the suspects, Odeleye Adewale who pled for his life, allegedly confessed to have relocated to Oyo in search of acceptance of homosexual.

Hee was said to have forced to flee Lagos some years back when he was caught with one Olaosebikan Ademola at Ikotun area of Lagos, and never returned to his family for fear of being attacked or killed by members of the community.

Narrating how Oluwafemi and Adewale were caught, the attendant who pleaded not to be mentioned, explained that he was initially suspicious with the public display of affection being shown by both guests when they approached the front desk.

“They could barely keep their hands off each other”, he said, adding: “So, when they requested for room service, I went to their room with the water they had requested for. It was Oluwafemi that opened the door while Adewale was on the bed, naked. I reported them to the manager and other guests came out when they heard noise”.

READ ALSO: HOMOSEXUALITY: Boy, 28, Absconds From Police Net To Avoid 14-year Jail Term

“The mob that gathered around the hotel decided to lynch both homosexuals but the hotel manager did not want the lynching to happen in the hotel premises, and decided to call in the police.

“So, while waiting for the police, the two young men escaped under the pretext of picking something from the room they were lodged.

“Both of them tricked us. They said they wanted to pick their bags from the room. When we did not see them, we checked and discovered they had escaped through the small gate by the swimming pool”, said the attendant.

Contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Oyo State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, said he could not confirm the arrest of the two suspects.

He noted that the suspects had taken to their heels before the police arrived, but operatives were trailing the suspects to ensure their arrest and prosecution.

Group known as Niger Delta Nonviolence Agitators Forum (NDNAF) has urged people of the region to reconsider participating in the planned nationwide protest, citing concerns about potential violence and political undertones.

In a statement, NDNAF National President, Comrade Wisdom Oniekpar Ikuli, expressed solidarity with Nigerian youths on the issues they have raised but advised against a protest that could be hijacked by unscrupulous elements.

NDNAF highlighted the 2012 anti-subsidy protest, led by Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu and General Muhammadu Buhari, as an example of a protest with political undertones.

READ ALSO: Ijaw Group Urges Ex-agitators, CSOs To Shun Planned Protest, Gives Reason

The organization also noted that the current protest has been linked to Northerners, advising Nigerians, particularly those from the South, to stay away.

NDNAF advocated for dialogue as a means of resolving issues.

The organization encouraged Nigerians, especially youths, to engage in dialogue with authorities, citing the example of David’s restraint in not harming King Saul despite having the opportunity.

NDNAF’s statement emphasised the need for caution and nonviolent means of addressing grievances, urging Niger Deltans to emulate David’s example and avoid retaliatory actions.