The president of Lawyers Alert, Dr. Rommy Mom, has described the killing of more than 200 people in a brutal attack on Saturday in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, as “genocide” rather than communal conflict. He stated this in a press statement released on June 16, saying that Benue’s citizens are “under siege by organised and well-armed marauders carrying out what amounts to ethnic cleansing and land grabbing.”
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The organisation condemned the incident as part of an ongoing pattern of violence against vulnerable populations.
The attack, which occurred on June 14, primarily targeted internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had previously fled similar violence in the region. According to Lawyers Alert, over 90% of the victims were IDPs who were “hunted down, trapped, burned alive, or brutally butchered while seeking refuge in storage shelters.”
The organisation reported that despite more than 1,000 deaths in Benue State over the past year from similar attacks, no arrests, prosecutions, or credible investigations have been conducted. The attackers, who often travel in large groups on motorcycles, continue to operate with impunity, according to the statement.
Lawyers Alert has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to deploy a military battalion to protect Benue communities and establish a special intervention fund. The group criticised the president’s recent statement calling for reconciliation between “warring communities,” arguing this mischaracterises the situation.
The organisation also expressed concern over Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia’s response to the crisis, stating his failure to address the state following the mass killing raises “serious concern” about leadership during the crisis.
Regarding recent calls for a state of emergency in Benue, Lawyers Alert opposed such measures, arguing that the state’s democratic institutions remain functional and that emergency rule would “undermine democratic governance.”
Instead, the organisation advocates for community-based security approaches, citing success with their Community Policing and Accountability Project in Guma and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas.
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