VIDEO: 'I lost 20 members of my family' — Benue attack survivor recounts ordeal
📹: News Central pic.twitter.com/Rgb6p8yy3Y
— TheCable (@thecableng) June 17, 2025
“They burned my clothes and all our food… 20 of my family members died that day,” survivor Michael Ajah said after the deadly Benue attacks.
Survivors of recent attacks in Yelwata and Daudu communities, Guma LGA of Benue State, have described a night of horror that left over 100 dead. The June 14 assaults, allegedly by suspected herdsmen, occurred just days after 25 others were killed in Makurdi LGA.
Michael Ajah, a survivor, told News Central TV that 20 of his relatives were killed. “They burned my clothes and all our food. The clothes I’m wearing are what I came out with,” he said.
Ajah recalled hearing gunshots around 10:20 pm amid rainfall before the attackers struck. “I’m sure they were Fulani men because I heard them speaking clearly.”
Another victim, Bature Bartholomew, said his brother, sister-in-law, and mother were burned alive. “I lost millions. I store grains like maize, guinea corn and soya beans,” he added.
President Bola Tinubu is set to visit Benue on Wednesday to assess the crisis and meet stakeholders, according to presidential aide Bayo Onanuga.