Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has strongly condemned the gruesome killing of over 200 people in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, describing it as a “cold-blooded massacre” and a glaring indictment of the Nigerian government’s failure to protect its citizens.
In a statement made available to the media, the advocacy group decried the relentless violence that has engulfed the region, stressing the destruction of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) shelters, many of which were reportedly doused in petrol and set ablaze by the attackers.
Referencing eyewitness reports, the group revealed that the bloodbath began in the early hours of Saturday, when suspected armed herders launched a deadly assault on Yelewata.
The attackers, it said, unleashed terror for two hours, killing scores and displacing hundreds.
“That same day, another wave of violence hit Daudu, where five security operatives, including police officers and soldiers, were murdered in cold blood.
“This atrocity, which defies comprehension, is the latest in a vicious cycle of bloodshed that has plagued Benue for decades.
“What was once dismissed as a farmer-herder resource conflict has now morphed into a deliberate and systemic campaign of terror and ethnic cleansing,” CAPPA stated.
The organisation warned that the killings in Benue signalled a broader collapse of Nigeria’s internal security architecture and the abdication of constitutional responsibilities by both federal and state authorities.
Particularly disturbing, according to CAPPA, was the police response to peaceful protests by grieving community members who were met with tear gas instead of compassion.
“This state-sponsored insensitivity deepens the trauma and sends a chilling message to victims—that they are alone in their suffering,” the group said.
CAPPA criticised what it called the “hollow rhetoric” of Governor Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Tinubu, accusing both leaders of offering empty assurances while lives are being lost with alarming frequency.
To reverse the dangerous trajectory, CAPPA called for a comprehensive, multipronged intervention.
It demanded the immediate convening of a federal-state security summit to launch a special task force mandated to disarm and dismantle violent herder militias.
The group also called for the prosecution of the militia leaders in transparent, speedy trials, with civil society oversight to ensure accountability.
To address long-term peace building, CAPPA proposed the creation of community-led peace councils made up of both farmers and herders.
These councils, it said, should be empowered to mediate disputes, forge land-use agreements, and defuse tensions before they erupt into violence.
Additionally, the organisation urged a nationwide transition to modern ranching systems, backed by compulsory livestock registration to eliminate open grazing routes and enable traceability of cattle movements.
CAPPA further demanded the creation of a victims’ compensation fund, providing trauma care, temporary shelter, and economic support to survivors in Yelewata, Daudu, and other affected communities.
The group also pressed the Nigeria Police Force to issue a public apology for its harsh treatment of peaceful protesters and to adopt dialogue-oriented protest management protocols.
Concluding its statement with a stark warning, CAPPA said: “Without swift and sustained action, Benue risks descending into an endless spiral of reprisal killings.
“If all Nigerians are truly equal, then the right to life must be guaranteed for every citizen, no matter where they live.”
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