Nigerian Security Operatives Use Teargas, Water Cannons to Disperse Protesters in Makurdi Over Mass Killings in Benue

Following the recent gruesome massacre of over 200 persons, including women, children, and internally displaced persons (IDPs), by terrorist “herdsmen” in Yelewata and Daudu communities of Guma Local Government Area, tensions have escalated across Benue State.

On Sunday morning, youths, dressed in black and bearing placards and palm fronds, took to the streets of Wurukum Roundabout in Makurdi, the state capital, to protest the continued killings and what they describe as government inaction and neglect in the face of repeated attacks on vulnerable communities.

The protesters, chanting solidarity songs and carrying banners with inscriptions such as “Enough of the Bloodshed”, “Benue Lives Matter”, and “Stop the Genocide”, blocked the busy Abuja-Makurdi highway, halting vehicular movement in and out of the state capital.

But what began as a peaceful demonstration descended into chaos after security forces arrived. Live footage on TikTok shows security personnel firing teargas canisters, hot water jets, and even live ammunition into the air to disperse the crowd. Protesters can be seen fleeing for cover.

The protest was sparked by the horror that unfolded late Saturday night into early Sunday when militants launched a coordinated attack from both the eastern and western flanks of Yelewata, overwhelming local security and youth defenders. They killed scores of sleeping families, reportedly burning victims alive in their homes and in market stalls converted into makeshift IDP shelters.

A community leader, Mr. Matthew Mnyan, described the attack as “a well-planned execution” aimed at displacing the indigenous people and seizing land. Despite prior warnings of an impending assault from neighbouring Nasarawa State, many locals claim security agencies failed to act in time. The Association of United Farmers Benue Valley (AUFBV), which had earlier raised the alarm over the potential attack, confirmed the deaths of over 62 IDPs and farmers, saying the actual death toll could exceed 200 as rescue efforts continue.

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Oluwasegun Sanusi

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