Clad in black and holding placards and palm fronds, the demonstrators barricaded the major road, disrupting traffic for hours and demanding urgent government intervention to end the bloodshed.

The protest came less than 24 hours after suspected armed herdsmen reportedly killed over 200 people in a brutal attack on Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area. The incident, one of the deadliest in recent times, has further deepened fears and frustration among residents who say they feel abandoned by the government.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the attack in a statement, describing the killings as “horrific and unacceptable.”

He called on the federal government to urgently overhaul its security strategy and bring the perpetrators to justice.

“No community should be left to live in fear while the state fails in its primary duty of protecting lives and property,” Atiku stated.

Despite earlier warnings from the Benue State Government against unlawful gatherings, the protesters said they could no longer remain silent in the face of what they described as a “slow genocide.”

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