This week, hundreds of displaced Nigerians obstructed a key highway to protest against the government's inactivity following the mass murder of over 200 Christians in last month's massacre. The protestors, primarily women and children, called for sustenance and security at a camp located near Makurdi in central Nigeria.
Chanting demands such as “We want to go back home; no security, no food,” the demonstrators used tree branches to block the Makurdi–Lafia–Abuja expressway, effectively stopping traffic at the crossing near the Maga IDPs Camp in Mbayongo, as reported by Truth Nigeria.
The massacre, which unfolded between June 13–14 in the Yelewata community of Guma County, displaced thousands and resulted in the deaths of more than 200 Christian villagers.
Armed assailants, identified by local authorities as Fulani militants, were responsible for the attack. Those displaced are currently residing in temporary shelters throughout Benue State, with limited resources for food, medicine, and protection.
“Our people have stopped going to distant farms for fear of being ambushed and slashed to death by the terrorists,” said Thomas Ukumba, a Yelewata community elder. “Yet again, the terrorists are coming close to our residents, but there's been no response from the military or police. We are not safe.”
In recent weeks, eight deaths have been reported in two Makurdi IDP camps, affecting individuals from young adults to children. Camp leaders attribute these fatalities to sickness and insufficient medical supplies.
Abraham Taa, the chairman of the Ichwa IDP Camp, highlighted concerns over worsening infrastructure, noting that the camp's security has been compromised due to various points of collapsed perimeter fencing. The kidnapping of Terseer Aondowase David, a 1-year-old boy, from the Ichwa IDP Camp has been reported, with the boy still missing and no arrests made.
While protesters accuse both state and federal authorities of neglect, the Benue State Emergency Management Agency refuted these claims, asserting that the demonstration was politically induced, according to spokesperson Tema Ager.
Yelewata community leaders continue to criticize the security forces. Damian Ugbir, a youth leader, recounted an incident where Fulani militants disguised as herdsmen entered a school compound. Despite being reported to both police and military, only two police officers responded, engaging the terrorists in a gunfight. The officers retreated after finding they could not match the terrorists' firepower, and the military failed to intervene.
The Nigerian federal government had previously stated that the June massacre would mark a turning point for regional security efforts. Residents, however, claim that violence persists uncurbed. Church leaders have expressed concerns that a “plan is underway to seize land and ethnically cleanse the region of its Christian presence,” as reported by Aid to the Church in Need.
According to a January report by the persecution watchdog group Global Christian Relief, nearly 10,000 Christians in Nigeria were killed by Islamic extremists between November 2022 and November 2024.
