A ten-month-old boy, the sole survivor of his family following a brutal attack in Nigeria’s Benue State, has been released from a university hospital after months of treatment for injuries sustained during the violence. Aondosoo Targule Aya, who survived a machete wound during an assault that claimed the lives of his mother and three siblings, was discharged from Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) on July 17, 2025, according to an official statement from the facility.
The attack, described by authorities as a deadly clash involving armed herders in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area (LGA), left over 200 people dead, primarily women, children, and elderly residents. Aondosoo was among the few survivors rushed to BSUTH, where medical staff treated a deep laceration on his left buttock. His father, Aya Targule, expressed profound gratitude to the hospital and the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for supporting his son’s recovery. “The doctors and nurses fought tirelessly to save him,” Targule said, his voice heavy with grief. “Even after we lost everything else, they gave us hope.”
The family’s tragedy reflects the escalating violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region, where disputes over land and resources between herders and farmers have sparked recurrent clashes. The Yelewata massacre ranks among the deadliest in recent years, displacing thousands and straining already overcrowded camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs). Targule, now homeless, revealed that his infant son would relocate to North Bank, Makurdi, under the care of an aunt, while he returns to the International Market IDP camp on George Akume Way. “We have nowhere else to go,” he said, emphasizing the lingering trauma of losing his entire household.
BSUTH’s acting head of public relations, Tsenzughul Moses, confirmed the discharge in Friday’s statement, underscoring the hospital’s role in stabilizing critically injured victims amid resource challenges. Local NGOs and state agencies have called for increased security and humanitarian aid to address the crisis, which has seen over 1.5 million Nigerians displaced by intercommunal violence since 2022, per UN estimates.
While Aondosoo’s survival offers a rare glimmer of resilience, his father’s plight highlights the precarious reality for countless families in the region. “I pray those who showed us mercy are blessed,” Targule said, his gratitude tinged with sorrow. “But our lives will never be the same.” The infant’s recovery, though celebrated locally, underscores urgent calls for accountability and long-term solutions to prevent further bloodshed in Nigeria’s conflict-ridden heartland.
