Benue: Fear returns to Yelewata after armed herdsmen shoot two residents

By Johnson Arua

Two residents of Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area were wounded on Sunday when armed men, suspected to be Fulani herders, opened fire on the town.

The attack comes less than a year after over 200 people were massacred in the same area in June 2025, leaving many survivors displaced.

A community leader, speaking on Monday on condition of anonymity, said the incident unfolded in the afternoon. “The herders were grazing openly toward Yelwata town when soldiers moved to stop them. Realizing they might be arrested, they ran back, and although the soldiers fired warning shots, the herders began shooting,” he explained.

The source detailed the injuries: “One woman was shot in the hand, while another person sustained a gunshot to the leg. Both were very close to my house. Thankfully, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency rushed them to Makurdi for treatment, and they are alive.”

The shooting occurred just four days after the state government distributed improved farm inputs to local farmers to boost this season’s crop production.
Residents are worried that continued attacks could prevent them from tending their farms and benefiting from the new agricultural support.

Community fears are growing as security concerns persist. “How can we farm safely when armed men are roaming near our homes? We are anxious about our lives,” a resident said.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP, Udeme Edet confirmed the development.