Amnesty International has condemned the Nigerian government’s failure to protect residents of Benue State amid escalating violence by armed groups that has left hundreds dead and driven hundreds of thousands from their homes.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the global human rights organization said that in many parts of Benue, people are living at the mercy of gunmen, with entire communities destroyed and countless families forced to abandon their homes. It estimates that at least 500,000 people have been displaced across the state, many of whom are now living in overcrowded camps under deplorable conditions — without access to sufficient water, food, proper sanitation, or healthcare.
One of the deadliest recent attacks occurred on 14 June in the town of Yelewata, where heavily armed assailants reportedly stormed the community, killing more than 100 people and displacing over 3,900 residents. According to Amnesty International, a field visit to the affected area revealed harrowing scenes: the strong stench of decomposing bodies filled the air, bullet casings littered the ground, and newly dug mass graves marked the sites where the dead were hastily buried.
The rights group decried the inaction of the Nigerian authorities, stressing that the repeated failure to prevent and respond to such attacks amounts to a serious dereliction of duty. “Rampant violence by armed groups has stripped thousands of people in Benue of their fundamental rights — including the rights to life, physical integrity, freedom of movement, and access to livelihoods,” the statement said.
Amnesty International called on the federal and state governments to urgently scale up protection measures for at-risk communities, investigate the ongoing violence, and ensure justice for the victims. It also urged the government to improve conditions in displacement camps and provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the growing number of internally displaced persons.
The persistent insecurity in Benue State — often attributed to violent clashes between farming communities and armed herder militias — has contributed to one of Nigeria’s most enduring humanitarian crises. Despite repeated government assurances, residents and civil society groups continue to report inadequate security presence and slow emergency response.
Amnesty warned that unless urgent action is taken, the human toll will continue to rise and more communities will be left defenceless in the face of relentless violence.
