Tensions ran high in Makurdi on Sunday morning as thousands of outraged youths flooded the streets to protest the recurring violence and killings across Benue State.
The demonstrators, who converged as early as 7 a.m., took over the busy Wurukum Roundabout, cutting off vehicular movement between the northern and southern corridors of the country.
With chants of frustration and placards bearing messages like “Stop Benue Killings” and “We Will Not Surrender to Fulani,” the youths resisted all attempts by law enforcement to clear the area.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, alongside Deputy Governor Samuel Ode, tried to calm the aggrieved protesters—but their efforts were rebuffed. Even surveillance helicopters circling low above did little to deter the determined crowd.
One of the organizers, social media activist Seedoff Mbapuun—popularly called “Benue Pete Edochie”—said the protest was sparked by years of unchecked attacks that have left communities devastated. “No one is safe anymore,” he said. “Yelewata is just outside Makurdi, and people are being killed daily, yet the world remains silent. We’re out here because we’ve had enough.”
Commissioner Emenari assured the demonstrators that security operations were ongoing, revealing that Special Forces deployed by the Inspector-General of Police had engaged in a six-hour gunfight with bandits in Yelewata just a day earlier. “We are making gains in areas like Apa, Gwer West, and Agatu,” he explained. “What happened in Yelewata was a desperate act by retreating criminals.”
But the crowd remained unconvinced. Tensions flared when Deputy Governor Ode arrived to speak, only to be shouted down by youths who demanded the Governor’s presence instead.
In the confusion, officers fired teargas canisters in an attempt to disperse the swelling crowd. The protestors retaliated by occupying New Otukpo Road, setting bonfires and blocking adjoining streets, plunging the area into chaos.
The turning point came with the arrival of popular activist and online personality Martins Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan (VDM). His unexpected presence sparked wild jubilation. Wading through the crowd, he addressed the protesters near the UBA junction, urging them to remain peaceful and reopen the roads.
“I saw horrors today—children burnt, food supplies destroyed, lives shattered,” VDM said, referring to the violence in Yelewata. “But burning tyres and blocking roads won’t fix this. It only invites more violence from security agents.”
He advised the youths to rethink their approach, suggesting peaceful, coordinated protests that avoid provoking force. “This is 2025. We have the tools—our voices, our platforms. Let’s protest smartly, not destructively,” he said. “You don’t need fire to be heard.”
His words struck a chord. The youths began clearing the roads and putting out the fires. VDM accompanied them back to Wurukum Roundabout, even as police continued to release teargas.
He pleaded for calm and encouraged the protesters to reconvene on a later date—peacefully and with proper permission—so their message could not be ignored or overshadowed by unrest.
As the protest slowly came to an end, the crowd burst into solidarity chants, applauding VDM’s presence and intervention. Many described his arrival as timely, preventing what could have spiraled into full-blown violence and helping redirect the protest toward a more constructive path.