News in brief:
– Benue State is facing a worsening food crisis as deadly attacks by armed groups force farmers off their land and displace thousands.
– A recent assault in Yelwata left up to 100 people feared dead, prompting renewed calls for urgent government intervention.
Benue State, nicknamed Nigeria’s “food basket,” is facing a deepening food insecurity crisis as deadly insurgent attacks continue to drive farmers from their lands.
A wave of violent assaults across Nigeria’s North Central region has created a chain of human-induced disasters. The latest occurred in Yelwata, a town in Benue State, where gunmen carried out an overnight attack that left at least 100 people feared dead.
The assault, which began late Friday and continued into Saturday morning, has drawn strong condemnation from Amnesty International. The rights group described it as part of an alarming escalation of violence in the region.
While state authorities have confirmed a lower death toll of 45, residents insist the actual number is much higher, citing mass casualties and widespread destruction of homes.
Amnesty International warned that the persistent violence is endangering both lives and livelihoods, particularly in a state where most victims are farmers. The group noted that repeated attacks have triggered mass displacement and could severely worsen food insecurity.
Already, Benue recorded the highest year-on-year (51.76%) and month-on-month (25.59%) food inflation rates in April 2025, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Additionally, the World Bank’s Global Food and Nutrition Security Dashboard estimates that over 5 million residents of the state face food insecurity, with more than 2.1 million people currently living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps.
The violence in Benue is part of a broader pattern of clashes between herders and farmers, often driven by competition over increasingly scarce land and water resources.
Eyewitnesses described the latest attack as “terribly bad,” with reports of victims being burned alive. Despite police engaging the attackers in a gunfight, the frequency and brutality of such assaults have left communities gripped by fear. Advocacy groups are now intensifying calls for stronger security measures from the federal government.
