Amnesty International reports that over 100 people may have been killed in Yelwata, a town in north-central Nigeria’s Benue State, following a brutal overnight raid by armed gunmen.
The assault began late Friday and continued into Saturday morning. Amnesty warned the violence has become “almost daily,” displacing families and threatening food security among farming communities .
While Amnesty cited a death toll exceeding 100, local and state officials claim a lower figure. Tersoo Kula, spokesperson for the Benue governor, stated that around 45 people died and several homes were burned during the approximately two-hour attack olice spokesperson Udeme Edet confirmed the clash and said security forces engaged the assailants.
Local residents, however, described horrifying scenes.
The violence reflects long-standing tensions between mostly Muslim Fulani herders and predominantly Christian farmers over access to land and water. In April, similar attacks killed at least 20 people in Gwer West, a nearby region.
Amnesty International called on the Nigerian government to stop the daily bloodshed that has devastated livelihoods and threatened regional stability .
With input from Al Jazeera
