BENUE, MAKURDI – Children in Benue State are emerging as the most vulnerable victims in the ongoing violence fueled by political unrest and deepening insecurity across communities.
Images obtained from social media show several children lying in hospital beds, their fragile bodies wrapped in bandages, burn dressings, and IV lines, haunting evidence of what has become a humanitarian tragedy in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
In one frame, a toddler with extensive burns rests on a caregiver’s lap, her eyes wide with pain. Another child, with shrapnel wounds, sits motionless, too weak to speak. Parents and guardians, visibly overwhelmed, watch silently as their children cling to life.
Health workers at the hospital in Makurdi confirmed to reporters that many of the injured children were caught in crossfire during recent attacks on their communities. Others were burned when homes were set ablaze by armed assailants whose motives remain politically charged and under investigation.
“This isn’t just a conflict anymore, it’s a collapse of humanity,” said a health official who asked not to be named. “We are treating wounds that medicine can’t fully heal.”
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The violence, attributed to clashes between rival political interests and communal groups, has displaced thousands and left dozens dead in recent weeks. But it is the toll on children many of whom have lost parents, homes, and limbs, that has shocked even the most seasoned responders.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who visited the affected children during a tour of the region, described the scenes as “heartbreaking and unacceptable,” and called for urgent intervention from both state and federal governments.
“No political ambition is worth the life of a child,” the Tinubu said. “This is a stain on our conscience.”
Human rights groups and aid agencies have condemned the continuing violence, urging authorities to prioritize the protection of civilians and children, and to prosecute those responsible for attacks on innocent communities.
Observers say the crisis in Benue reflects a broader national failure to address political violence, rural insecurity, and ethnic tensions that frequently spiral out of control, especially in election seasons.
As the children recover, their bandaged bodies serve as a silent indictment of a system that failed to shield them from the consequences of adult conflict.