A 2001 Massacre of Tiv people in Benue State Nigeria by the Nigerian army
A mass killing of unarmed Tiv civilians by the Nigerian Army in 2001, later acknowledged by the government but resulting in no criminal punishment.
Key Facts
- Date range
- 20–24 October 2001
- Victims
- Hundreds of unarmed Tiv civilians
- Soldiers killed prior
- 19 soldiers
- Apology issued
- 6 November 2007, by Army Chief Lt. Gen. Luka Yusuf
- Villages affected
- Gbeji, Vaase, Anyiin, Iorja, Ugba, Tse-Adoor, Sankera, Kyado, Zaki-Biam
- Soldiers punished
- None
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
On 12 October 2001, the mutilated bodies of 19 Nigerian soldiers were discovered near Tiv villages in Benue State. The Nigerian Army launched a covert retaliatory operation, codenamed 'Operation No Living Thing,' targeting the surrounding civilian communities.
Between 20 and 24 October 2001, Nigerian Army troops conducted a mass execution of hundreds of unarmed Tiv civilians across multiple villages including Gbeji, Vaase, Anyiin, Iorja, Ugba, Tse-Adoor, Sankera, Kyado, and Zaki-Biam in Benue State. The army and federal government initially denied the killings.
The Nigerian federal government and army denied responsibility for years before publicly apologizing in November 2007. Army Chief Lt. General Luka Yusuf and President Umaru Yar'Adua personally apologized to the people of Benue State. Despite these acknowledgments, no soldier was ever charged, tried, or imprisoned for the killings.