“Benue Boils: Youths Storm Makurdi Streets in Mass Protest Over Over 100 Killings in Yelewata, Saidu”

“Benue Boils: Youths Storm Makurdi Streets in Mass Protest Over Over 100 Killings in Yelewata, Saidu”

Hundreds of angry youths took to the streets of Makurdi, the Benue State capital, on Sunday in a massive protest against the brutal killings that rocked Yelewata, Saidu and several other communities in the state.

Dressed in black and carrying placards, tree branches, and banners, the demonstrators began their march at the main gate of Moses Orshio University (formerly Benue State University) along the Makurdi-Gboko Road as early as 7 a.m.

The city witnessed heightened security presence, as heavily armed anti-riot police officers, soldiers, and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) were stationed at strategic locations, particularly around the Wurukum Roundabout — a major link between northern and southern Nigeria.

Despite the tense atmosphere, the protest remained peaceful.

Read also: Scores Killed, Injured in Renewed Herdsmen Attack in Benue

The protesters later converged at Wurukum Roundabout, chanting slogans like “Stop Benue killings! Stop Benue killings!” as they encircled the symbolic Food Basket statue, a monument representing the state’s agricultural pride.

The protest was sparked by a deadly attack that occurred overnight on Saturday, where suspected herdsmen reportedly killed over 100 residents in Yelewata and Saidu.

One of the grieving protesters, Mzamber Agatha, shared her pain with Fusion Chronicles

“I lost my mother and five children in the massacre,” she said tearfully, urging the federal government to take swift and decisive action to end the bloodshed in the state.