Amnestly International called on the Nigerian government to do more to stop attacks in Benue State.

At least 100 people have been killed in a northcentral Nigerian town following an overnight attack by gunmen, as Amnesty International called for the government to end the “almost daily bloodshed in Benue state”.

The attack, which occurred from late Friday into Saturday morning, took place in Yelwata, a town in Benue State, according to Amnesty.

“Amnesty International has been documenting the alarming escalation of attacks across Benue state where gunmen have been on a killing spree with utter impunity. These attacks have been causing massive displacement and may affect food security as majority of the victims are farmers,” the rights group wrote on X.

“The Nigerian authorities’ failure to stem the violence is costing people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action many more lives may be lost,” the organisation said, adding that many people were still missing from the attack.

The Nigerian authorities must immediately end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue state and bring the actual perpetrators to justice.

The horrifying killing of over 100 people by gunmen that invaded Yelewata; from late Friday into the early hours of Saturday 14 June 2025, shows…

— Amnesty International Nigeria (@AmnestyNigeria) June 14, 2025

Tersoo Kula, a spokesperson for the state governor’s office, told the AFP news agency earlier on Saturday that the attack lasted about two hours and a “number of houses [were] burnt down”.

He added that government officials and police officials had visited Yelwata and “confirmed” a lower death toll of 45.

Police spokesperson Udeme Edet confirmed the attack to AFP and said police had engaged the attackers in a gunfight.

But locals told AFP that they feared that more than 100 people had been killed in the attack.

“It is terribly bad, many people have died,” Amineh Liapha Hir, a resident of the town, said. “It could be more than 100, and many houses were also burnt,” Hir added.

Another resident, Christian Msuega, said he escaped the attack, but his sister and brother-in-law had died after being burned alive.

In the region, attacks are common as local herders, mostly Muslim ethnic Fulani, and farmers, many of whom are Christian, clash over the limited access to land and water.

Last month, gunmen who were believed to be herders killed at least 20 people in the Gwer West area of Benue.

The Vatican has announced that the first millennial saint will be canonized in September.

Pope Leo XIV made an announcement during a meeting with cardinals that Carlo Acutis will be inscribed into the Book of Saints on September 7.

Acutis died at the age of 15 in Northern Italy after a short bout with leukemia in 2006, according to the Associated Press.

Before Pope Francis’s death on April 21, Acutis was set to be canonized on April 27 during the Vatican’s Jubilee of Teenagers.

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During his life, Acutis spent most of his time like any normal teenager would, while also giving time back to both the church and the community.

According to the Associated Press, Acutis taught Catholicism at a local church and volunteered to help the homeless.

Acutis also used his computer coding skills to create a website highlighting more than 100 eucharistic miracles recognized by the church.

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The first intercession by Acutis came from his own mother, Antonia, who told Fox News that it came four years after his death.

“When Carlo died, I was 39 years old, and then I started to try to have other children. I said, ‘I’m still young, maybe I can try, no?’ [But] the children didn’t arrive. Then I had started on my practice to adopt a child, but in Italy, it’s very difficult… I had lost all my hopes to have children by myself,” she explained. “Once I dreamed about Carlo, he told me, ‘listen, you will become, again, a mother. Don’t worry.’ And, one month after, I became pregnant.”

According to the National Catholic Register, the Vatican has recognized a second miracle by intercession on May 23, 2024.

The miracle involved a 21-year-old Costa Rican woman named Valeria Valverde.

Carlo Acutis, who died at 15 from leukemia, is one step closer to becoming a saint.  (carloacutis.com)

Valverde sustained a serious brain injury in a bicycle accident while residing in Florence, Italy in 2022. Valverde was not expected to survive the injury.

However, she made a full recovery after her mother visited Acutis’s tomb and prayed for his intercession, according to the National Catholic Register.

Carlo Acutis’s tomb is in Assisi, Italy. His tomb has been visited by Catholics of all ages, but primarily the younger generation. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Acutis’s tomb, which is located in Assisi, has been visited frequently by Catholics, most notably younger Catholics.

Acutis will be joined by the blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati when he is inscribed in the book of saints.

Fox News Digital’s Laura Carrione contributed to this story.

Nick Butler is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Do you have any tips? Reach out to Nick.Butler@Fox.com.