Nigerian Police Crack Down on Protests After Deadly Attacks

Nigerian police used tear gas to disperse a crowd of protesters in the central city of Makurdi on Sunday, as frustration grew over the deadly attacks in a nearby town that killed more than 100 people, France 24 reported. 

On Friday, gunmen attacked the village of Yelewata in the central state of Benue, a region that has experienced a surge in violence due to clashes between Muslim Fulani herders and predominantly Christian farmers, who are competing over land and resources, Arab News wrote. 

Authorities generally blame the violence on Fulani herders but the group says they are victims of violence and land seizures, too. 

Attacks in this region are often motivated by religious or ethnic tensions. Two weeks ago, gunmen murdered 25 people in two incidents in Benue, and in April, more than 150 people were killed across Benue and also Plateau state. 

Demonstrators said they want authorities to take action to stop the cycle of violence.  

Local journalist John Shiaondo told Agence France-Presse that he was covering “peaceful protests” when the police started firing tear gas at the thousands of protesters. He said that many left the demonstrations out of fear for their safety. 

A spokesperson for Benue state’s governor told AFP that “the protesters were given specific time by the security to make their peaceful protest and disperse.”  

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia said Sunday they were moving quickly to find the perpetrators of the attack, identify the victims, and get justice for them. 

However, Amnesty International labeled the attack as “horrifying,” saying it “shows the security measures (the) government claims to be implementing in the state are not working.”