A survivor of the June 2025 Yelewata attack in Benue State, Msurshima Apeh, told the U.S. Congress how she watched terrorists slaughter her five children in their camp.
During her testimony before the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, on Thursday November 20, Apeh recounted how armed men stormed the camp, locked people inside, and used both guns and machetes to carryout the killings. She said the attackers then set the building ablaze.
“They poured petrol…and the majority of them were set ablaze”.
In a harrowing moment, Apeh said she climbed a tree to hide while hearing her children screaming below as they were slaughtered. She later fled into the bush until rescue workers found her and evacuated her to safety.
The Yelewata massacre, which took place in Guma Local Government Area, Benue State, reportedly killed over 100 people and displaced thousands. Some civil society groups claim the death toll could be high as 200.
Apeh’s testimony came amid a congressional hearing focus on Nigeria’s human rights situation and a recent U.S. decision to place Nigeria back on the “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) list.
Her account has reignited international scrutiny over Nigeria’s handling of communal violence and alleged persecution in its middle belt.
Critics argue that government’s response to repeated attacks has been inadequate, and calls are growing for accountability and protection of vulnerable communities.
In Nigeria, some religious and political leaders have framed the violence as more than just a farmer-herder conflict calling it “directed”, planned” and akin to terrorism.
-9News Nigeria.
