UN, Amnesty Slam Benue Massacre as Tinubu Prepares Emergency Visit to Blood-Soaked State

Global outrage has reached a boiling point as the United Nations and Amnesty International condemn the horrifying massacre in Benue State, where over 100 villagers were slaughtered in a brutal overnight attack. The international community is demanding accountability while President Bola Tinubu, under intense pressure, is set to visit the embattled state on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, in a move many view as long overdue.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, through his spokesperson Farhan Haq, described the killings as a grave human rights violation and called on Nigerian authorities to urgently apprehend the perpetrators. “We’re monitoring the situation,” Haq said during a Monday press briefing. “The Secretary-General condemns the killing of innocent civilians and expects those responsible to be brought to justice.”

Amnesty International delivered a damning verdict on the government’s response, calling the massacre in Yelewata “a chilling reminder of failed security architecture.” In a scathing statement, the group stated: “The Nigerian authorities must end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue. Security measures claimed by the government are simply not working.” The watchdog warned of an escalating humanitarian disaster if decisive action is not taken.

Over 100 villagers were killed in Yelewata between the night of Friday, June 13, and the early hours of Saturday, June 14. Three security operatives were confirmed dead, with 16 others seriously injured. The carnage follows a string of violent incidents earlier in the week, including the murder of three youths in Edikwu-G’Icho on June 10 and the killing of Sunday Dutse along the Odugbeho-Ogbaulu road in Agatu.

Governor Hyacinth Alia, in a recent interview with Channels Television, insisted the violence is far from spontaneous. “Benue is under siege. These attacks are coordinated, deliberate, and executed like military operations,” he said. According to Alia, 60 to 65 percent of intelligence reports coming into the state have proven credible, hinting at an organized terror campaign rather than random communal clashes.

Data from SBM Intelligence reveals a frightening scale of bloodshed: between January and March 2025, over 2,000 Nigerians were killed, with Benue alone accounting for 101 deaths. Even more alarming, 136 security personnel have lost their lives nationwide in the same period, suggesting that both civilians and state forces are increasingly under siege from sophisticated armed groups.

Responding to the public outcry, President Bola Tinubu canceled his June 18 trip to Kaduna and will instead visit Benue on the same day. A statement from his media aide, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the President will meet with traditional rulers, security heads, lawmakers, youth groups, and community leaders in a town hall forum aimed at finding lasting peace. Tinubu has also dispatched top security officials, including the IGP and NSA, to the state ahead of his visit.