Armed men killed more than 100 people in an attack on Yelewata, a village in Nigeria’s central Benue State, Amnesty International Nigeria reported.
The assault began late Friday and continued into early Saturday. Amnesty said on social media that many victims remain missing. Several people suffered injuries and have little or no access to medical care. The group also said attackers trapped some families inside their homes and set the buildings on fire.
Benue lies in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, where the mainly Muslim North meets the largely Christian South. This region often sees clashes between herders and farmers. Herders search for grazing land, while farmers need space for crops. Ethnic and religious divisions often make these disputes worse.
Last month, suspected herders attacked villages in Gwer West, also in Benue. Those attacks left at least 42 people dead over a single weekend.
Since 2019, violence in the region has killed over 500 people. Research group SBM Intelligence estimates that 2.2 million people have fled their homes due to the ongoing conflict.
