Herdsmen attacks: Benue victims have been left to die in silence – US Missionary Alex Barbir

American missionary and humanitarian worker Alex Barbir has recounted what he described as the horrors he witnessed in Benue and Plateau states, alleging that Nigerian security agencies attempted to downplay deadly attacks despite evidence of mass killings.

Speaking during an address at the Capitol, Barbir said his experiences in Nigeria transformed him from a missionary into an advocate for victims of violence, particularly in Benue’s Yelwata community.

According to him, he travelled to Nigeria after learning about persistent attacks on rural communities and was shocked by what he encountered on the ground.

“I came here as a missionary. I came here as a witness who’s been on the ground,” he said, adding that he visited communities many people were afraid to enter because of recurring attacks.

Barbir claimed that during a recent visit to a mortuary in Kuru, Plateau State, police officers attempted to prevent him from documenting victims of an attack.

“The police told me there was no attack. They said nothing happened and I should leave. But when I entered, I saw young men with bullet holes across their bodies, blood stains everywhere and families crying over their loved ones,” he alleged.

The missionary said similar experiences in Benue convinced him that victims of attacks had “been left to die in silence.”

Referring to the June 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue State, Barbir questioned official accounts of the incident, claiming that senior officials had significantly understated the number of people killed.

He alleged that while some officials suggested only a few dozen people died, a memorial erected by the affected community listed nearly 300 victims.

“They told me only about 30 people were killed in Yelwata. But I already knew the truth. The monument carries almost 300 names,” he claimed.

Barbir also criticised descriptions of the attacks as ordinary farmer-herder clashes, insisting they should instead be recognised as terrorism.

“They’re not bandits. They’re not herders. They are terrorists,” he said.

He further alleged that authorities had failed to adequately protect vulnerable communities and accused some officials of concealing the scale of the violence.

Barbir said witnessing grieving families, burned homes and mass burials motivated him to fund the rebuilding of affected communities.

“If nobody else would help them, I would. I could not see these things happen and remain silent,” he said.

The missionary’s remarks come amid continuing debate over the nature of violent attacks in Benue and other parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Nigerian authorities have consistently maintained that they are working to address insecurity, while different stakeholders have offered varying interpretations of the causes of the violence.