Tinubu Visits Benue Amid Yelewata Massacre Survivors’ Grief, Security Chiefs Push for Community Defense

Survivors of the Yelewata massacre recounted their anguish as Tinubu prepared to visit Benue on June 18, 2025. Michael Ajah lost 20 family members and his store, escaping narrowly as Fulani attackers burned his home during a 10:20 p.m. assault amid heavy rain. Bature Bartholomew lost his brother, sister-in-law, and mother, along with millions in grains, while Joseph Kwagh lost eight family members, noting prior warnings ignored due to past unfulfilled threats. Kwagh blamed herder-farmer tensions over grazing disputes, exacerbated by inadequate compensation for destroyed crops. Alia rejected self-defense calls, advocating for community policing, while Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa proposed a Civilian Joint Task Force model, citing insider collaboration in the attack. The United Nations, through António Guterres, condemned the killings, demanding justice, as Benue lawmakers declared the government’s failure and urged enforcement of the 2017 Anti-Open Grazing Law.