More than a month after the deadly attack in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, 107 victims are still receiving treatment in various hospitals, according to the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
The agency’s Executive Secretary, James Iorpuu, disclosed the figure on Tuesday during a joint media briefing in Makurdi with visiting counterparts from Nasarawa and Plateau states.
Iorpuu, who also serves as Permanent Secretary of the Benue State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, condemned the repeated violence in rural communities and described the scale of destruction in Yelwata as severe.
“So far, 107 survivors of the Yelwata attack are still receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital and other medical facilities,” Iorpuu said. “That attack claimed over 200 lives. We pray such an incident will not happen again in any part of Benue State.”
The attack, which occurred on June 13, has drawn widespread condemnation and highlighted ongoing insecurity in the North Central region. President Bola Tinubu had earlier visited some of the victims during a hospital tour in Makurdi on June 18.
Officials from Nasarawa and Plateau states joined their Benue counterparts in expressing solidarity and exploring collaborative strategies to curb armed violence in the region. Iorpuu noted that some of the attackers were believed to have crossed into Benue through Nasarawa, underscoring the need for regional cooperation.
“We are going to work together as a team and find ways to stop what is happening, especially the attackers who pass through Nasarawa State to attack us in Benue,” he said.
Ben Akwash, Director General of Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency, said the visit was meant to offer condolences and initiate discussions on regional security coordination. He also highlighted the importance of joint preparedness for environmental hazards like flooding.
Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, Sunday Abdu, assured the Benue people of support and shared concerns about insecurity in the broader North Central region.
“Benue is dear to our hearts,” Abdu said. “This type of aggression is not unique to Benue—it is also affecting Plateau and other states. We are here to encourage you and to learn from your response to humanitarian crises.”
The visit and remarks from the emergency management heads come amid renewed calls from state officials and civil society for the establishment of state police to strengthen local security responses.
