A survivor of the Yelwata massacre in Benue State, Msurshima Apeh, has given a heartbreaking account before the United States Congress. She described how she watched helplessly as her five children were killed during the attack.
Apeh spoke virtually on Thursday to the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa, which is reviewing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to return Nigeria to the Country of Particular Concern (CPC) list.
She explained that armed men stormed a camp where hundreds of displaced families were staying.
According to her:
“When we went to sleep around 9 pm, Fulani terrorists attacked us where we were sleeping. They locked us inside the camp in Yelwata, cutting people with machetes and shooting. When they were done, they poured petrol on the building and set many people on fire.”
Apeh said she saw a tree nearby and climbed it to hide, while her children cried below.
“My five children were crying, and I watched as the attackers slaughtered them,” she said.
She later escaped into the bush and was eventually rescued.
“I ran into the bush, and when rescue workers came, they brought me out. We were later moved to a new camp.”
The Yelwata massacre happened in June 2025 in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. Initial reports estimated that between 100 and 200 people were killed, and more than 3,000 survivors were displaced. Many were moved to camps in Nasarawa State.
Some civil groups argued that the number of those killed may have been as high as 200. Security sources linked the attackers to suspected armed herdsmen.
The attack sparked national outrage. President Bola Tinubu condemned the killings, visited wounded survivors in Makurdi, and ordered security agencies to act.
Emergency agencies later warned that displaced families were suffering from hunger, poor medical care, and lack of proper shelter. The Police later announced the arrest of 26 suspects connected to the killings.
