Residents of the Yelwata community in Benue State have called for urgent government protection and humanitarian support following last year’s deadly attack, as Germany reaffirmed its commitment to helping Nigeria tackle insecurity and promote peaceful coexistence.
Germany’s Federal Government Commissioner for Freedom of Religion or Belief, Thomas Rachel, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday after a fact-finding visit to affected communities, including internally displaced persons camps.
Rachel, who described his visit to Yelwata as deeply emotional, said survivors of the June 2025 massacre, where over 200 Christians were killed, expressed fears about their safety and future.
“I am still moved by my visit to Yelwata, the village where a massacre took place in June 2025. More than 200 Christians were killed there.
“The people with whom I spoke, they asked for safety. They asked what the government can do. They asked for support for living, and they want to have a chance to return from IDPs, from internally displaced persons, to their ancestral homes,” he said.
PUNCH Online reports that in the early hours of Friday, June 13, 2025, Yelwata, located about 7km north of Makurdi in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, a predominantly Christian farming community, was invaded by over 100 AK-47-wielding assailants, killing more than 200 villagers.
The community, which also serves as a settlement for internally displaced persons who fled earlier attacks in neighbouring towns, saw about 3,000 people displaced, with houses burnt and many victims injured.
The mass killing is part of a disturbing wave of coordinated violence that has swept across parts of Nigeria, particularly some parts of the Middle Belt and North-East.
Rachel noted that insecurity remains a major concern across the country, stressing that both Christians and Muslims are victims of extremist violence.
“You see that Christians and Muslims have a common enemy. These are the terrorists. So let me express my full solidarity with Nigeria,” he said.
During his visit, the commissioner said he met with victims, religious leaders, government officials and community members, noting widespread fear among affected populations.
“I spoke with Muslim people, with Christians, with humanist representatives. I visited the IDP camp international market in Makudi. I spoke with victims, and you can feel that they are not sure if they have a perspective for their life and this makes me sad,” he added.
Rachel also raised concerns over reports of human rights violations linked to the application of blasphemy laws in some northern states.
“We heard about the concerns of quite a lot of people about the partial application of blasphemy laws in certain northern states, which leads to severe violations of human rights, as well as the freedom of religion and belief,” he said.
Highlighting the complexity of Nigeria’s security challenges, he pointed to terrorism in the North and farmer-herder conflicts in the Middle Belt as key drivers of violence.
“We have the conflicts between farmers and especially external herders in the middle belt and in the northern part they are killed by Boko Haram and ISWAP so it’s a real terroristic problem,” he explained.
The German commissioner emphasised dialogue and mutual respect among religious groups as critical to resolving the crisis.
He said, “Nigeria is one of our key partners on this continent, and furthermore, Nigeria and Germany share important values. Both countries are democracies. They are free societies. Germany remains fully committed to protecting and promoting the freedom of religion and belief.
“You know, we have the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 80, which says that every person can believe and have religion and pray and worship whatever he or she wants, or change the religion, or have no religion at all. This is a fundamental right, which is the basis of the human rights of the United Nations, and it’s also important because the freedom of religion and belief is an indicator for human dignity, for stability in a country, and also for peace in a country.
“I realise that Nigeria is probably the most religious country I have ever seen, perhaps in the world. The people live with religion, and I think this is really impressive.”
He reiterated that Germany would continue to support Nigeria through political, economic and peace-building initiatives, including mediation efforts in partnership with organisations such as the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
“It is very important that you work for respect, respectful going along between these religions, and that you fight against those who take and misuse religious aspects to give argument for their attacks,” he said.
On military cooperation, Rachel clarified that Germany would not deploy troops but would continue advisory support.
“We have some people from our so-called Bundeswehr who recommend and train the military of Nigeria. We will not act in any military way in Nigeria. Nigeria is a strong country,” he said.
Reaffirming Germany’s long-term partnership with Nigeria, he stressed that unity across religious and ethnic lines remains key to achieving lasting peace.
“And I think as long as the people have fear, it’s still a challenge for the whole country, and that means also for the government,” he added.
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