Benue Killings: Youth Group Calls for Peaceful Disintegration of Nigeria
CANG-YOUTHS
The Concerned Awakened New Generation Youths (CANG-YOUTHS) has called for a total re-evaluation of Nigeria’s continued existence as a single nation, following the killing of over 200 people in Yelwata, Benue State, last week.
The group described the massacre as yet another tragic example of the Nigerian state’s failure to protect its citizens.
In a statement titled “Benue Killings: Is It Not Time to Rethink Nigeria?” the group argued that the persistent killings across the country particularly in the Middle Belt and other minority-dominated regions demonstrate that Nigeria is no longer serving the interests of its people.
CANG-YOUTHS declared:“We call on the nations that formed Nigeria to demand their right to self-determination. We urge President Tinubu to facilitate a peaceful process of disintegration, allowing these nations to determine their own futures.”
They further appealed to the broader Nigerian public:
“We call on Nigerians to join the movement to reawaken and rethink our shared existence as a nation. We cannot continue to pretend that we are united, nor that we are treated equally as citizens. We cannot keep shedding daily tears and blood while hoping for an unrealistic change.”
The group also extended an invitation to other communities and organizations similarly affected by violence and marginalization:
“We equally invite all individuals and nations impacted by the Nigerian state to join us in demanding a future determined by us and for us. Together, we can build a brighter, more secure future for ourselves and generations to come.” the group stated.
The recent massacre in Yelwata, a community in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, marks one of the deadliest attacks in the region’s recent history. Between the night of June 13 and the early hours of June 14, 2025, armed assailants stormed the village, targeting homes and a makeshift market that had been sheltering displaced families.
Over 200 people were killed many of them women and children and thousands fled into nearby forests. Eyewitnesses reported that the gunmen launched a coordinated assault, approaching from multiple directions, opening fire indiscriminately, and setting shelters ablaze.
Most of the victims were internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had previously fled violence in other areas. The attackers were reportedly armed with sophisticated weapons and strategically blocked escape routes to maximize casualties.
Although no group has officially claimed responsibility, the attack fits a familiar pattern of violence often attributed to armed herders, particularly those of Fulani origin. Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, claimed that some local residents collaborated with the attackers, allegedly providing them with food, shelter, and even women, while guiding them to the IDP camp.
Benue State has long been a flashpoint in Nigeria’s ongoing herder-farmer conflict. The violence is largely driven by disputes over land between sedentary farming communities—primarily Tiv and Idoma—and nomadic herders. Environmental factors such as desertification and drought have intensified the conflict by pushing herders further southward in search of grazing land.
