American missionary and humanitarian worker Alex Barbir has spoken out about the severe violence he witnessed in Nigeria’s Benue and Plateau states, alleging that security agencies have systematically attempted to minimise the scale of deadly attacks on rural communities.
In a recent address at the Capitol, Barbir described how his time in Nigeria transformed him from a missionary into a vocal advocate for victims of violence, particularly in Benue State’s Yelwata community. He recounted being shocked by the reality on the ground after travelling to the region to investigate persistent attacks on vulnerable rural populations.
Barbir claimed that during a visit to a mortuary in Kuru, Plateau State, police officers tried to stop him from documenting victims of an attack. “The police told me there was no attack. They said nothing happened and I should leave. But when I entered, I saw young men with bullet holes across their bodies, blood stains everywhere and families crying over their loved ones,” he alleged.
Focusing on the June 2025 Yelwata massacre in Benue State, Barbir challenged official accounts that suggested only around 30 people were killed. He pointed to a community memorial listing nearly 300 victims’ names, arguing that senior officials had significantly understated the death toll. “They told me only about 30 people were killed in Yelwata. But I already knew the truth. The monument carries almost 300 names,” he said.
The missionary criticised descriptions of the violence as ordinary “farmer-herder clashes,” insisting they should instead be recognised as terrorism. “They’re not bandits. They’re not herders. They are terrorists,” Barbir declared. He further accused some authorities of failing to protect vulnerable communities and concealing the true extent of the killings, leaving victims “to die in silence.”
Despite the horrors he witnessed—including grieving families, burned homes, and mass burials—Barbir said the experiences motivated him to fund the rebuilding of affected communities. “If nobody else would help them, I would. I could not see these things happen and remain silent,” he stated.
His remarks come amid ongoing debates over the nature of violent attacks in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, where Nigerian authorities maintain they are actively working to address insecurity while various stakeholders offer differing interpretations of the causes. Barbir’s testimony adds to the voices calling for greater transparency and stronger protection for rural communities facing repeated assaults.
