Nigerian social media personality and activist, Vincent Innocent, popularly known as Verydarkblackman, has once again drawn national attention to the worsening security crisis in Benue State with a series of emotionally charged online posts and videos.
In a disturbing update posted on 15 June 2025, Verydarkblackman reported live from Yelwata, a community in Benue State, where he claimed that over 200 people were killed in a single day. The video, which included graphic content, was accompanied by a strong message directed at President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“Dear President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is this what you promised Nigeria during the campaign? Look at this video—how long will this continue? Benue is bleeding. When does this stop?”
— Verydarkblackman via Facebook
https://web.facebook.com/share/v/1LK7XaDEof
The report has not yet been independently verified, but it adds to a growing number of citizen-led documentation of violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, where attacks on farming communities have surged in recent years.
Earlier in the week, Verydarkblackman had posted another video in response to renewed protests by Benue youths. He urged them to prepare for self-defense, calling for licensed arms, community mobilization, and strategic collaboration with security forces.
“The army and police cannot do it alone… You must prepare yourselves. Every household in Benue should be ready to defend that land… We are the wiser generation. We must not fold our arms and die in silence.”
While his message has resonated with many who feel abandoned, others have raised concerns about the legal and ethical implications of civilians arming themselves, warning that such calls—though born of desperation—could escalate violence further.
https://web.facebook.com/share/v/18mGGVidZG
Benue State has remained one of the epicenters of herder-farmer conflicts, communal clashes, and banditry, with thousands displaced and hundreds killed in the past year alone. The state government has repeatedly called on the federal authorities for increased military presence and sustained humanitarian support.
In response to the growing crisis, Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oloyede, the Chief of Army Staff, recently relocated military operations to Benue to bolster efforts in curbing the violence. However, community leaders and rights activists continue to demand long-term solutions, including land reform, justice for victims, and better protection of rural communities.
As the national conversation intensifies, Verydarkblackman’s bold presence in the heart of the conflict zone is being seen by many as both a cry for help and a wake-up call to a nation grappling with repeated failures in securing its most vulnerable populations.
