A powerful wave of emotion swept through the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, as Mr. Targule Aya clutched his only surviving child—10-month-old Targule Aya Jr.—after losing his wife and three other children in the recent Yelewata massacre.
The baby was rescued from the site of the gruesome attack in Guma Local Government Area, which claimed dozens of lives, following an invasion allegedly carried out by suspected armed herdsmen. A fleeing resident discovered the infant, who had sustained a stab wound to the back, and rushed him to BSUTH for urgent medical attention.
Chief Medical Director Dr. Terungwa Stephen Hwande ordered the child’s immediate admission into the Paediatric Medical Ward. In an inspiring act of humanity, hospital staff member Mrs. Asongo Roseline volunteered to serve as the baby’s temporary caregiver, nursing him back to stability with love and compassion during the critical first days.
A breakthrough in the child’s identity came when another survivor of the massacre, Mrs. Blessing Audu, receiving treatment at the hospital, recognized the boy and contacted his father, who had survived the attack but was yet unaware that his youngest child was still alive.
The reunion was heartbreaking and miraculous. Mr. Aya broke down in uncontrollable tears as he embraced his son—the last living piece of a family torn apart by violence. Onlookers, including hospital staff and fellow patients, were moved to tears by the moment of rare joy amidst unimaginable sorrow.
CMD Dr. Hwande expressed gratitude to God and to the hospital team, especially Mrs. Roseline, for their unwavering dedication. “This hospital did more than treat a patient. It saved a future,” he said while handing the child over to his father. BSUTH’s Public Relations Officer, Tsenzughul Moses, confirmed that the hospital will continue to provide full medical support until the boy is fully healed.
Speaking through tears, Mr. Aya said, “God used this hospital to save my only surviving child. I am eternally grateful for the love shown to us. Though my heart is shattered, I still have hope in my hands.”
