Residents of the Yelwata community in Benue State have called for urgent government protection and humanitarian support following last year’s deadly attack, as Germany reaffirmed its commitment to helping Nigeria tackle insecurity and promote peaceful coexistence.
Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Thomas Rachel, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday after a fact-finding visit to affected communities, including internally displaced persons camps.
Rachel, who described his visit to Yelwata as deeply emotional, said survivors of the June 2025 massacre, where over 200 Christians were killed, expressed fears about their safety and future.
“I am still moved by my visit to Yelwata, the village where a massacre took place in June 2025. More than 200 Christians were killed there.
“The people with whom I spoke, they asked for safety. They asked what the government can do. They asked for support for living, and they want to have a chance to return from IDPs, from internally displaced persons, to their ancestral homes,” he said.
Reuters Online reports that in the early hours of Friday, June 13, 2025, Yelwata, located about 7km north of Makurdi in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, a predominantly Christian farming community, was invaded by over 100 AK-47-wielding assailants, killing more than 200 villagers.
The community, which also serves as a settlement for internally displaced persons who fled earlier attacks in neighbouring towns, saw about 3,000 people displaced, with houses burnt and many victims injured.