Yelewata, Gwer West LGA, once a peaceful settlement in Benue State, continues to grapple with the unrelenting horror of what many now call a slow genocide—a calculated campaign of mass killings that has left families decimated, homes scorched, and communities displaced.
Among the lives forever changed by this violence is that of Peter Akera, a native of Yelewata and brother to the author of this account. Peter is a quiet, peace-loving man whose entire family was wiped out in a single evening—a tragedy that epitomizes the suffering endured by thousands across Benue and the Middle Belt.
On August 23, 2021, Peter and his brother attended a political rally in Gbajimgba, the local government headquarters. Less than 24 hours later, his life imploded. Around 7 p.m. on August 24, Fulani gunmen stormed his compound behind Yelewata’s new market.
Inside, his wife was preparing the family dinner. Their four children—ages 3 to 10—waited nearby, hungry but happy. Then came the gunfire. No warning. No mercy.
Peter’s entire family was executed in cold blood.
> “They were not just killed,” the author recounts. “They were erased.”
What makes the loss even more painful is the family’s long journey to parenthood. After four years of childlessness, Peter and his wife were blessed with four children in quick succession. Each one was treasured—a symbol of hope and answered prayers. That hope was destroyed in seconds by attackers the community describes as “Fulani jihadists sponsored by agents of terror within the Nigerian system.”
A Pattern of Silence and Inaction
The Yelewata massacre is not an isolated incident. According to eyewitnesses and human rights monitors, entire communities across Gwer West, Guma, Logo, and other LGAs in Benue State have suffered similar attacks—often without meaningful government intervention.
The Nigerian government’s response has been described as theatrical at best—arriving late with media cameras and condolence statements, but with no real security reinforcements or arrests. No justice. No accountability.
> “They perform grief as theater,” Utoo writes. “Then they vanish—leaving us to count the dead.”
Most recently, on June 13 and 14, 2025, another wave of mass killings was reported in Yelewata. Again, whole families were annihilated. Again, the state and federal authorities were absent, leaving survivors to bury their loved ones under the shadow of renewed fear.
A Call for Justice and Truth
With the recent court affirmation of the FRSC’s power to enforce traffic laws, many are asking: Where is the same legal and institutional clarity when it comes to justice for the victims of mass killings?
It’s now Day 48 since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a matching order to the IGP and CDS:
> “Let’s get those criminals. Let’s get them out.”
But so far, there have been no visible arrests of perpetrators linked to the Yelewata genocide. Advocacy groups, survivors, and diaspora voices continue to demand justice—not just for Peter Akera's family, but for hundreds of unnamed victims whose blood stains the soil of Benue.
A Plea Echoes from the Ashes
> “Let justice one day find those who think they can murder with impunity—and their sponsors in government,” Utoo pleads. “Let peace finally take root in the soil where so much blood has been spilled.”
Until then, the people of Yelewata wait—in mourning, in resilience, and in hope.
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📢 #JusticeForYelewata
📅 Day 48 since the President’s order.
🎙️ We will not stop reporting. We will not stop remembering.
✊🏽 Let justice speak louder than silence.
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