The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, Benue State Governor, on Monday, Hyacinth Alia, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun have vowed to end the killings in the state.
They stated this when they visited the Yelwata community, in the Guma Local Government Area of the state Bandits, suspected to be armed herders, last Friday attacked the community, leading to the death of at least 59 residents and the displacement of over 3,000 others.
Speaking during the visit, Musa ordered field commanders from Benue and Nasarawa states to review their operational strategies and deal decisively with any act of terrorism in Benue.
The CDS, who toured the scenes of the attack in Yelewata, in the Guma Local Government Area of the state, said the persistent attacks were one too many that must be nipped in the bud to restore peace.
He urged the communities to engage troops with mutual trust going forward to deal decisively with criminals.
“We are tired of innocent souls being killed, and we’re here to ensure that we address such. I’ll be going to see my commanders and we have to change our strategy. We’re going to look inward and see how we can address it, but as we mentioned, we cannot do it alone without the community, without the state.
“We need everybody to be part of it. We understand that even before now we used to have even within us people that compromise and give information because going around, you see the way some of the burnings were made, were targeted and which means they were insiders and so, I’ve discussed with the communities, the traditional rulers, with the clergy for us to work united,” he said.
“There have been some issues on trust and that, we’re going to address for us, like I said, we want this to be the last one that will happen. We’re going to go all out to ensure that we address. We have put in measures in other places and it has worked; here is not going to be different.
“I want to assure Nigerians that not only Benue State, all over the country, we are determined, based on the mandate of Mr. President, to ensure that we restore peace and tranquility within our country, but we need Nigerians to support us.
“We must work together as a team. We also have the information that sometimes some of these people come across borders wherever it is they’re coming from, we’re going to go after them and take them. We can never ever give our country up for anything, and this madness must stop and it will end,” the CDS added.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, while briefing the CDS and the IGP on the attacks, lamented the extent of the carnage.
Alia, however, expressed confidence that the visit would bring relief to the troubled areas and restore peace.
“It is quite unfortunate. That this kind of carnage, this kind of killings, you know, persists. The presence of the Chief of Defence staff and the IGP means quite much to me, and definitely the people as well.
“The President himself is quite touched. I know we remain very hopeful that this kind of devastating occurrence will not happen, not only within the local government but around the state.
“Already, we now have an increased presence of different teams and squads, and that is going to create a huge difference,” he added.
On his part, the IGP commiserated with the members of the community and reassured them of the NPF’s commitment to further augmenting the available security emplacement in the state.
He directed the immediate deployment of additional tactical teams and assets, and assigned the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Operations, to take charge and oversee the operations aimed at restoring peace to Benue.
He said, “The people of this community are not alone. We are with them. The entire Nigerian communities are with them. A day will come when these bandits will come to operate as they used to, and they will never return.
“That day is drawing nearer. I can assure you that we are committed to fighting this battle and winning this war. My appeal to the community is to cooperate with us. They know the environment more than anyone else. They should give us information. They know the strangers. They can recognise strange movements. They can see the signs. They should please give information to us.”
The IGP was accompanied by senior officers, including the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Operations, DIG Yakubu Kwazhi; the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Logistics and Supply, DIG Adebola Ayinde Hamzat; the AIG Zone 4, AIG Zachariah Fera; and the CP SIS, CP Abayomi Shogunle.
Tinubu Visits Benue Wednesday
The service chiefs’ visit followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to them to implement his earlier directive to bring lasting peace and security to Benue State.
Tinubu on Monday also said he would clear his schedule to pay a visit to the people of the state on Wednesday.
During his stay, he is expected to meet with all stakeholders — including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups — to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.
The President is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit, according to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday.
Angry youths on Sunday stormed the Wurukum food basket roundabout to protest the alleged killing of scores of residents by suspected herdsmen in Yelewata, in Benue State.
The protesters converged on the roundabout in Makurdi, the state capital, as early as 8 am to demand action over the alleged killing on Saturday in Yelwata.
They were joined by a social media influencer, Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan.
Speaking to journalists, one of the protesters, Solomon Amande, said Benue youths were angry at the deafening silence of President Bola Tinubu, and the governor of Benue State despite the killing of children, women, and the elderly.
An attempt by the Deputy Governor of Benue State, Sam Ode, to address the protesters was resisted as they told him to tell the governor, Hyacinth Alia, to come personally to address them.
They were later confronted by armed policemen and soldiers who attempted to stop them, leading to an escalation and the use of tear gas at the protesters.
Pope Leo XIV, Atiku, Obi, 2Baba Condemn Attacks
The Catholic Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, had on Sunday condemned the killings in Benue, describing the incident as a “terrible massacre” in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with “extreme cruelty”.
Delivering his remarks before the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the pontiff expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence in Nigeria and the suffering of affected communities.
Others who condemned the attacks and called for urgent action were a former vice president and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi; and popular Nigerian singer, Innocent Idibia, also known as 2Baba or 2face.
Over 3,000 Displaced
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Monday said that over 3,000 displaced residents, including women and children, were in urgent need of food, non-food items, potable water, and essential medical supplies.
It also said that 6,527 people have so far been displaced by the attacks in Benue State.
NEMA, in a statement on its official X account, said those displaced included 82 pregnant women, 252 lactating mothers, and 657 children under 18.
“As of last night, displacement figures stood at 1,069 households, comprising 6,527 individuals. Among them are 1,768 females, 759 males, 657 children under 18, 1,870 adults above 18, 252 lactating mothers, 82 pregnant women, and 91 elderly persons,” it stated.
