A United States-based advocacy organization, Truth Nigeria, has accused the Nigerian government and its security agencies of failing to act on multiple warnings about an impending terrorist attack in Yelwata village, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, which culminated in a devastating massacre on June 13, 2025.
In a compelling video statement, Judd Saul, founder of Truth Nigeria, alleged that the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, along with security forces, exhibited complicity by neglecting credible intelligence that forecasted the assault on Christians by Islamic extremists operating across various Nigerian states.
The June 13 massacre saw nearly 300 people killed in what survivors described as a targeted religious pogrom. Armed herdsmen reportedly razed homes, destroyed property, and forcibly displaced hundreds of residents in a coordinated and brutal attack.
Saul criticized the Nigerian government’s control over local media, accusing authorities of manipulating narratives surrounding violent incidents to minimize perceptions of religious persecution and protect the perpetrators. He said, “There’s Nigerian government complacency with these attacks… Nigerian news only reports events if the government sanctions it. The narrative is shaped from the top down, and reporters merely echo the government line.”
Truth Nigeria was established with the mission to expose verified facts and bring international awareness to the violence faced by Nigerian Christians. Saul highlighted recent attacks, noting the lack of media coverage: “How many people know that besides the 280 Christians slaughtered in Yelwata, some 500 Christians have been killed nationwide since then? The media ignores these stories, but we document and share what’s really happening.”
According to Saul, Truth Nigeria received actionable intelligence about the planned attack nearly three weeks prior to the massacre. The group promptly alerted local authorities, the Nigerian military, the Department of State Services (DSS), and other security agencies. Despite these multiple warnings, no preventive measures were taken.
Saul revealed, “A day before the attack, our team notified the government and security forces about suspicious movements indicating that the armed herdsmen were mobilizing and approaching Yelwata. Yet, no intervention occurred.”
He described the chilling scene as the attack unfolded: “There was a military Forward Operating Base less than a kilometer away. Soldiers fired warning shots but did not engage the terrorists, even as people were being burned alive and slaughtered with machetes.”
The revelations from Truth Nigeria raise serious questions about the Nigerian government’s preparedness and response to extremist violence targeting vulnerable communities. The group’s founder called for greater transparency and accountability to ensure the protection of all Nigerians, especially marginalized groups facing religious persecution.
