Yelwata Massacre Survivor Tells US Lawmakers How Her Five Children Were Killed in Her Presence
- A survivor of the Yelwata massacre has told US lawmakers how she watched her five children being killed during the attack on displaced families in Benue state
- Msurshima Apeh testified before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa as Congress reviewed Nigeria’s return to the CPC list
- The hearing examined rising violence in Nigeria while recalling that the Yelwata assault left scores dead and thousands displaced
A woman who survived the Yelwata massacre in Benue State has given emotional testimony to the United States Congress, recounting how she watched her five children murdered during the attack.
Msurshima Apeh appeared virtually before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa as lawmakers examined President Donald Trump’s decision to return Nigeria to the Country of Particular Concern list.
Source: Getty Images
Apeh told the panel that armed men invaded the camp where displaced families were sleeping. She said she had put her children to bed shortly before the attackers struck, Channels TV reported.
Survivor recounts horror to lawmakers
“When we went to sleep that night around 9 pm, the Fulani terrorists attacked us where we were sleeping. We were locked inside the camp, Yelwata, and they were butchering them with cutlasses and shooting guns as well.
When the torture had finished at some point in time, they poured petrol on the building and the majority of them were set ablaze,” she said.
She recalled climbing a tree to hide while her children remained below. She said they cried for help as the attackers moved through the compound.
“In the course of this action, I saw a tree when I lifted my eyes. I raised my hands on the tree and climbed up where I was able to hide myself.
My five children that I left below were crying, and in my presence, they were being slaughtered by the terrorists,” she said.
Apeh eventually fled into the bush before rescue workers found her.
“I ran out into the bush at some point, and those who came for rescue will now bring me out of that place at some point, and I was able to witness the whole drama. When the people came, we were now relocated to a new camp,” she told the committee.
Congress weighs CPC listing and sanctions
Her testimony came as US lawmakers deliberated on the implications of Trump’s decision to redesignate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern.
The CPC status, which still awaits Senate ratification, could expose Nigerian officials to sanctions and affect security cooperation. Members of Congress are reviewing reports of rising attacks in parts of the country and the government’s response.
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The Yelwata attack occurred in June 2025 in the Guma area of Benue State.
Local groups said more than one hundred people may have died, while thousands fled to temporary camps in Nasarawa.
Civil rights advocates blamed armed herdsmen for the violence. President Bola Tinubu condemned the killings and ordered security agencies to respond.
Trump’s remarks about Christian persecution have increased international scrutiny. Nigerian authorities rejected the accusations and insisted that the country protects freedom of worship.
The congressional review continues as lawmakers consider policy options, including humanitarian interventions and targeted measures against perpetrators.
'US pursuing personal agenda' – Dambazau
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Lieutenant-General Abdulrahman Dambazau, former Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of Nigeria, said the US might be preparing to set up a military base in Nigeria.
Dambazau shared his thoughts at the seventh annual public lecture of the Just Friends Club of Nigeria in Abuja while addressing his country’s security challenges.
Source: Legit.ng
