The latest massacre occurred on June 12, 2025, when suspected armed herders and militia groups launched coordinated attacks on several communities in Guma and Gwer West local government areas of Benue State.
The senate has announced that a delegation of lawmakers will accompany President Bola Tinubu on a visit to Benue State on Wednesday in a show of solidarity following the gruesome killing of over 200 people in the state.
The visit, announced by the senate on Tuesday, is part of efforts to demonstrate empathy and reinforce the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s deepening insecurity.
Senate spokesperson, Sen. Yemi Adaramodu, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the national assembly in Abuja on Tuesday. He described the killings as “very unfortunate” and extended the senate’s condolences to the government and people of Benue.
According to him, the president shelved a previously scheduled visit to Kaduna in order to personally travel to Benue, a move many see as long overdue given the scale and recurrence of violence in the state.
Over 200 killed in coordinated attacks on June 12
The June 12 killings are the latest in a long list of violent attacks that have plagued Benue state and other parts of the north-central region. Since 2018, Benue has been the epicentre of farmer-herder clashes, banditry, and mass displacement, with thousands of lives lost and farmlands destroyed.
The latest massacre occurred on June 12, 2025, when suspected armed herders and militia groups launched coordinated attacks on several communities in Guma and Gwer West local government areas of the state. Reports put the death toll at over 200 people, including women and children, with dozens injured and hundreds displaced.
Mass burials were held in affected communities as survivors and local leaders decried the continued vulnerability of farming communities in the state. Despite repeated attacks in recent years, there has been little to no visible improvement in federal response or protection for the area, fuelling anger and disappointment among residents.
Public outcry over federal government silence
In the days following the attacks, there was widespread public outrage over the silence of the federal government, particularly the presidency. Social media platforms were flooded with calls for immediate action, while human rights groups and media commentators criticised the government’s failure to visit or speak out promptly.
Civil society groups, including the Benue Civil Rights Coalition, accused the federal government of “habitual neglect” and described the recurring attacks as acts of genocide against farming communities in the middle belt.
It was against this backdrop that the senate’s announcement of a visit and broader security engagement emerged.
Senate plans security summit
Speaking further, Sen. Adaramodu stressed that beyond condolence visits, there is a need for concrete national action. He revealed that the national assembly, with presidential backing, is working to convene a national security summit that will bring together a broad coalition of stakeholders.
He said, “Beyond the condolence visit, lawmakers say the time has come for concrete and collective action to stem the tide of killings across the country.
“More importantly, we are organizing a national security summit, not just for the military, but for CSOs, media, women, youth, and other critical stakeholders because enough is enough. We cannot keep going from Plateau to Benue, paying condolence visits.
“With Mr. President’s support, the Senate and the House have appropriated adequate funds to support the military and security agencies. Together with traditional rulers and communities, we must put a stop to this bloodshed,” the spokesperson added.
The planned summit, he noted, would not be another “talk shop,” but a strategic forum aimed at uncovering the root causes of insecurity and forging practical, locally-driven solutions.
