A year on from the Yelewata tragedy, locals pay tribute to 271 lives lost and call for accountability

A year has passed since the devastating Yelewata massacre, which claimed the lives of 271 residents, and on Saturday, survivors, families of the victims, religious leaders, and political figures gathered in the community to pay their respects and renew calls for justice and improved security.

n

The commemoration, held in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, featured a memorial Mass and the unveiling of a cenotaph engraved with the names of the 271 victims who lost their lives during the June 13-14, 2025 attack.

n

Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, led the commemoration, describing the anniversary as a painful reminder of one of the darkest moments in the community's history, where many bodies were burnt beyond recognition between June 13 and 14.

n

The Bishop emphasized that the community had returned to pray for the repose of the souls of the 271 innocent people who were murdered, noting that they cannot be forgotten as they were fathers, mothers, children, brothers, and sisters.

n

The memorial, according to the Bishop, serves not only to honour the victims but also to remind society of the need to protect human life and ensure accountability, particularly as the attack could have been prevented if security agencies had acted on intelligence reports warning of the impending assault.

n

Barr. Frank Utoo, a native of Yelewata and international human rights advocate, facilitated the construction of the memorial wall through the support of the United States-based organisation, Equipping The Persecuted (ETP), which was designed to preserve the memory of the victims forever.

n

Utoo noted that the monument was built to remember the 271 people, including children, women, and men, who were killed within a four-hour period, emphasizing that these are not statistics, but human beings whose lives mattered, and their names have been engraved on the monument so they will never be forgotten.

n

The memorial, Utoo said, serves as a symbol of remembrance, justice, and hope for families still grieving their loved ones, and was made possible by his Executive Director, Judd Saul, who granted the request to put up a monument for the persecuted brethren in Yelewata.

n

Senate Minority Leader and Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Comrade Abba Moro, described the anniversary as a sad reminder of government's failure to adequately protect citizens, noting that the loss of 271 innocent lives is a tragedy that should never have happened.

n

Moro praised efforts to immortalise the victims through the memorial monument and expressed hope that such a tragedy would never occur again, emphasizing that government must do more to safeguard the lives and property of the people.

n

PDP governorship candidate Chief Mike Aondoakaa described the massacre as a grave crime against humanity and called for decisive measures to strengthen security across the state, advocating for stronger intelligence gathering and improved funding for security agencies.

n

Aondoakaa also emphasized the need for enhanced collaboration between Benue and neighbouring states to tackle insecurity, stating that government must ensure that the perpetrators are identified and brought to justice for the horrific attack in which 271 innocent people were killed.

n

PDP Benue North-West Senatorial candidate, Dr. Eunice Ortom, said the deaths of women, children, and breadwinners had left wounds that remain unhealed, noting that families are still grieving and children are still growing up without parents, and the loss suffered by the community is immeasurable.