When Tragedy Trends: A Framing Analysis of X Users’ Reactions to the Yelwata Attack

Abstract

In the wake of the deadly attack on Yelwata Community in Benue State, north-central Nigeria, social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), became digital battlegrounds for framing the tragedy, questioning state response, and amplifying cries for justice. The scenario is tantamount to saying when bullets fall silent, the hashtags begin to speak. Hence, this study investigates how X users framed and responded to the Yelwata carnage in Benue State, Nigeria, where over 200 lives were reportedly lost in the violent attack. Adopting Framing Theory, the research employs qualitative content analysis of 216 tweets to uncover the dominant frames, sentiments, and discursive strategies used by users in constructing the tragedy. Findings revealed four key frames: victimhood and mourning, government failure and inaction, ethno-religious conflict, and justice advocacy. Emotional tones were largely marked by grief, anger, disbelief, and calls for resilience, while discursive strategies drew on metaphor, biblical allusions, and political critique to reinforce collective grievances and mobilise public consciousness. These results align with existing scholarship on digital activism and conflict reportage, demonstrating that social media functions as both a site of mourning and resistance, amplifying narratives of state accountability and insecurity in Nigeria. The study concludes that X serves not merely as a platform for information exchange but as a participatory public sphere where ordinary citizens contest official silence, preserve memory, and push for justice. Its implications underscore the evolving role of digital platforms in shaping conflict discourse, with relevance for policymakers, civil society actors, and scholars of media and security studies.