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The Digest:

A survivor of the Benue massacre has brought Nigeria's violent crisis to the global stage, delivering heartbreaking testimony before US lawmakers about watching her children being killed while she hid in a tree, a personal tragedy that now fuels international policy debates.

Key Points:
  • Msurshima Apeh testified before the US House Subcommittee on Africa about the Yelwata attack
  • She described watching armed men slaughter her five children while she hid in a tree
  • Attack occurred in June 2025 in Guma LGA, Benue State, killing 100-200 people
  • Assailants locked victims inside the camp, used cutlasses and guns, then set buildings ablaze
  • Apeh escaped by climbing a tree while her children cried below during the attack
  • Over 3,000 people were displaced, with survivors relocated to camps in Nasarawa
  • Her testimony came amid Trump's threats of military action in Nigeria over religious violence
When personal trauma becomes geopolitical evidence, such testimonies transform abstract death tolls into unforgettable human stories that can shape international policy and intervention.

Sources: Channels, Nigerian Tribune

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