Angry Benue Residents Block Highway, Demand Action After Fresh Killings

Monday morning in Yelwata. It’s not quiet. Not at all. People are angry. Scared, too. They’ve had enough.

Three more lives lost. Just like that. Another attack. This time, the residents aren’t just mourning. They’re out on the highway, blocking cars, trucks—anything that moves. They even brought the bodies. Laid them out for everyone to see. It’s a message. “Look at what we’re living with,” one man shouts.

The road between Makurdi, Lafia, and Abuja? Shut down for hours. Drivers stuck. Horns blaring. But the protesters don’t move. Not until someone listens.

A youth leader, Achii Mathias, calls in. His voice is tired. “They came early, around 7am. We think they slept here, waited for morning. Then started shooting.” Three dead. Three more hurt. “We have security men here, almost 200 of them. Still, this happened. In broad daylight.”

Officials show up. The governor’s security adviser. The local government chairman. They walk around, looking at the scene. Maybe taking notes. Maybe just shocked.

The police? They say they’ll get back with details. But for now, the community is on edge. People remember last month. June 13. That night, Yelwata lost about 200 people. The world noticed. Even the Pope spoke out. President Tinubu, too. But here they are again. More blood. More pain.

The people of Yelwata want answers. They want peace. But today, all they have is another protest. And a highway full of grief.