Youths in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, took to the streets on Sunday in protest against the recent wave of killings in Yelewata, Saidu, and several other communities across the state.
Dressed in black and armed with banners, placards, and tree branches, the protesters began their march as early as 7 a.m. at the main gate of Moses Orshio University (formerly Benue State University) along the Makurdi-Gboko Road.
The demonstration prompted a heavy security response, with anti-riot police and armed soldiers deployed to strategic locations across the city. Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) were stationed at the Wurukum Roundabout, a key transit point connecting northern and southern Nigeria, heightening tensions in the area.
Despite the heavy security presence, the protest remained peaceful.
The demonstrators converged on the Wurukum Roundabout, symbolically surrounding the Food Basket statue while chanting, “Stop Benue killings! Stop Benue killings!”
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The protest follows a deadly overnight attack on Saturday, in which over 100 people were reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen in Yelewata and Saidu communities.
One of the protesters, Mzamber Agatha, tearfully told The Nation that she lost her mother and five children in the massacre.
She urged the federal government to take decisive action to end the violence in the state.
