₦airaland Forum

Moderators please stop trying to silent those of us who know people in the Middle belt and are very well aware of the situation there. I understand political sentiments but this is not the time to do that. Whenever I try to talk about these issues, my post keeps being deleted. At least have some compassion and respect for those who are no longer with us.

I didn’t just put this together from headlines or social media noise. This is drawn from multiple reports humanitarian organisations, field data, and news coverage over the years. But beyond the numbers, there’s something else that often gets lost: the human side of it. Behind every statistic is a family, a village, a life that used to be normal.

Benue State didn’t suddenly become unsafe overnight. The violence there mostly linked to farmer-herder clashes, often involving armed groups identified as Fulani militias attacking farming communities has been brewing for years. Long before Muhammadu Buhari or Bola Tinubu came into office, tensions over land, grazing routes, and survival were already high.

But what used to be clashes has, over time, turned into something much darker. Entire villages wiped out. Homes burned. People forced to run with nothing. Camps filled with internally displaced persons who don’t even know if they’ll ever go back home.

Under Buhari (2015 – May 2023)

There’s no sugarcoating it those years were brutal, especially between 2016 and 2018.

2016 alone saw over 1,200 deaths in Benue from these attacks. That’s not just a number; that’s hundreds of households grieving at the same time.

Then came 2018. Many people still remember the New Year’s Day killings in Guma and Logo. Families who should have been celebrating were instead burying their loved ones. Across Nigeria, over 1,300 people were killed in similar violence in just half a year.

Places like Agatu, Guma, Logo, and Ukum became almost synonymous with tragedy. And even when attacks weren’t happening, there was always that fear people going to farm not knowing if they’d return.

Over the eight years of Buhari’s administration, Benue recorded repeated waves of violence. Some years were worse than others, but the pattern never really stopped. The government was often criticised for reacting too slowly or not doing enough to prevent repeat attacks.

Under Tinubu (May 2023 – Present)
If people thought things couldn’t get worse, the last couple of years have challenged that belief.

Reports suggest that from 2023 to 2025, the scale of violence has not only continued but intensified. Amnesty International estimated over 6,800 deaths in Benue alone within roughly two years alone. That’s a staggering figure when you think about it entire communities disappearing.

2023 already showed worrying signs, with hundreds killed. But 2024 into 2025 saw something closer to a surge. Attacks became more frequent, more coordinated, and in some cases, more brazen.

One of the most disturbing moments was the Yelewata massacre in June 2025. In a single night, over a hundred people were killed some reports say even more. Homes were set on fire, people were attacked while sleeping, and even displaced persons weren’t spared. Survivors described scenes that are hard to even imagine, let alone live through.

And it didn’t stop there. Other areas Gwer West, Ukum, Logo continued to experience repeated attacks, sometimes days apart. In some periods, it almost felt like there was no pause, just continuous mourning.

So, When Did Benue Suffer the Most?

Looking at the data alone, the recent years under Tinubu seem to be the most intense so far. Not just because of total numbers, but the frequency and scale of attacks.


Final Thought

At some point, the numbers stop being shocking and just become exhausting. But for the people living through it, there’s nothing normal about it.

Whether under Buhari or Tinubu, the reality is the same for many in Benue: uncertainty, fear, and loss.

And until something fundamentally changes not just in response, but in prevention we may keep writing reports like this, while the situation on the ground keeps getting worse.

Using Benue as a case study. So the people waited for president Tinubu to visit the state before reducing/stopping the decades old killing

The still affected places with insecurity, are they also expecting president to be on his knees before they can locate the missing senses that made them to be fighting each other

helinues:
Using Benue as a case study. So the people waited for president Tinubu to visit the state before reducing/stopping the decades old killing

The still affected places with insecurity, are they also expecting president to be on his knees before they can locate the missing senses that made them to be fighting each other

What is the role of the president if you don't mind me asking?

Mrchippychappy:
What is the role of the president if you don't mind me asking?

Head of the affairs in Nigeria. The question is, should the president be visiting each community ravaged with insecurity and lie flat on ground to beg them to stop?

helinues:
Using Benue as a case study. So the people waited for president Tinubu to visit the state before reducing/stopping the decades old killing

The still affected places with insecurity, are they also expecting president to be on his knees before they can locate the missing senses that made them to be fighting each other

I think you should first locate your senses it obvious you made this comment without it

helinues:
Head of the affairs in Nigeria. The question is, should the president be visiting each community ravaged with insecurity and lie flat on ground to beg them to stop?

What falls under the category of affairs in Nigeria? could security of lives and property of the citizens of Nigeria be one of the affairs that the president is responsible for or are there more important responsibilities?

Mrchippychappy:
What falls under the category of affairs in Nigeria? could security of lives and property of the citizens of Nigeria be one of the affairs that the president is responsible for or are there more important responsibilities?

Stop the quarter cleverness. I answered your question, take time to answer mine too before asking another question

helinues:
Head of the affairs in Nigeria. The question is, should the president be visiting each community ravaged with insecurity and lie flat on ground to beg them to stop?

Is that an option available to the president?
A. Should the chief of armed forces have to lie flat on the ground or
B. should you use his constitutional power to end the unnecessarily ethno-religious genocide in Nigeria?

A2.Should the chief of armed forces be more concerned with using asinine propaganda to manipulate the narrative
B2. Should he be more concerned with enforcing law and order with brute force?

Mrchippychappy:
Is that an option available to the president?
A. Should the chief of armed forces have to lie flat on the ground or
B. should you use his constitutional power to end the unnecessarily ethno-religious genocide in Nigeria?

A2.Should the chief of armed forces be more concerned with using asinine propaganda to manipulate the narrative
B2. Should he be more concerned with enforcing law and order with brute force?

Are you a spam bot? how come you are unable to comprehend my simple question

Please no political posts here. This is a humanitarian situation, regardless of tribe or political party. There is a Christian genocide going on and we as Nigerians need to come together

@nlfpmod please frontpage

They just murdered more people in Benue again. I thought Buhari's administration was the worse thing that happened to Nigeria, Apparently I was wrong.

Benue and Kaduna Christains were still attacked today by terrorists. Nigeria government, what crime did this people commit. Can't these terrorists be arrested and killed or banished from the country forever?

Etta lied. This is actually worse than under Buhari

@nlfpmod