Nigeria tensions in the center after a deadly attack

Edited by :  Reda El Ghazal

Condemning a bloody attack that occurred from last Friday night to Saturday, thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Makurdi on Sunday. Demanding urgent measures from the governor of Benue State, they called for an end to recurrent violence pitting Peul Muslim herders against Christian farmers. Furthermore, security forces dispersed the crowd using tear gas, according to concordant local sources.

Moreover, the assault on Yelewata resulted in heavy human toll with conflicting figures. Local authorities confirm the discovery of forty-five bodies, while residents report at least one hundred victims. For months, this central region has endured intense territorial conflicts linked to access to land and natural resources, amplifying intercommunal tensions.

Simultaneously, Pope Leo XIV addressed this tragedy during his weekly prayer in Rome on Sunday. Mentioning “a terrible massacre” of approximately two hundred civilians, including displaced persons sheltered by a Catholic mission, he appealed for peace and justice. Faced with this tragedy, he also pleaded for stability in Nigeria, a country ravaged by multiform violence.