Nigerian police reportedly used tear gas to disperse protesters in Makurdi on Sunday, as anger intensified following the killing of at least 45 people by gunmen in Yelewata on Friday night.
This incident adds to a surge in violence in the region, fueled by clashes between Muslim Fulani herders and mostly Christian farmers over land and resources.
Thousands demonstrated, urging Benue state’s governor to act quickly against the violence, according to witnesses.
Governor’s spokesperson Tersoo Kula confirmed 45 deaths in Friday’s attack, though residents and Amnesty International cited tolls exceeding 100.
Amnesty called the attack “horrifying,” questioning the effectiveness of government security measures.
Pope Leo XIV condemned the “terrible massacre,” noting mostly displaced civilians were murdered with “extreme cruelty.”
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed security agencies to “act decisively and arrest perpetrators” and urged leaders to avoid inflammatory remarks.
Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia stated federal tactical teams and security reinforcements were arriving and being deployed.
Attacks in Nigeria’s central belt are frequently driven by religious or ethnic differences.
Two weeks prior, 25 people were killed in Benue, and over 150 died in unsolved massacres across Plateau and Benue states in April.
