The early morning mist in the Agatu community of Benue State no longer carries the scent of fresh earth; it smells of charred timber and stale grief.
For the thousands who have survived the “unrelenting campaign of terror” sweeping across Nigeria’s North Central region, the passage of time is measured not in months or years, but in the number of mass burials they have attended.
As of May 2026, the Middle Belt remains a landscape of paradox. On one hand, state governors are receiving record-breaking monthly allocations and security votes—North Central states collectively budgeted over ₦28 billion for security in 2025 alone.
On the other hand, the influx of armed militia continues unabated, leaving a trail of “monstrous butchering” that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced millions.
The Human Toll: Faces of the Displaced
In the overcrowded IDP camps of Benue and Plateau, life is a “brutish and nasty” struggle for survival.
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- Bridget Orlulu, a 40-year-old mother of five in a Benue camp, recently lost a seven-month pregnancy due to the extreme heat and lack of medical care inside a thin tarpaulin tent.
- In the Yelewata community, survivors recount how over 200 people were slaughtered in a single June 2025 weekend, with attackers operating for over five hours without any military intervention.
- Over 2.1 million people are now displaced in Benue alone—a figure higher than the displacement recorded at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East.
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- The Regional Security Fund: The 19 Northern states, including the Middle Belt, recently pledged ₦1 billion monthly each to a joint security trust fund.
- The Mining Link: Governors have called for a six-month suspension of all mining activities, identifying illegal mining as a primary revenue stream for the bandits.
- The Policy Gap: Despite these funds, governors like Hyacinth Alia (Benue) and Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau) argue they are “chief security officers” in name only, as they lack the constitutional power to command federal troops or establish a State Police force.
A Failed State of Security
Recent reports from January and February 2026 indicate that bandits have begun targeting military bases directly, with one coordinated ambush in Niger State killing over 20 uniformed personnel “like animals”.
In communities like Kasuwan Daji, bandits reportedly rounded up 40 people, tied their hands, and “slaughtered them with knives” in the middle of a market.
“We no longer accept hollow condolences or tired speeches,” says a spokesperson for the Northern Ethnic Nations.
For the victims, the reality is clear: until the “agent provocateurs” are named and the billions in security spending reach the frontlines of the rural villages, the Middle Belt will remain what it is today—a silent, blood-soaked graveyard.
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