President Bola Tinubu, during his visit to victims of the Benue State massacre on Wednesday, directed the country’s service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to apprehend those responsible for the attacks. He ordered the security chiefs to go after the perpetrators of the heinous killings, which have claimed numerous lives and left many others seriously injured.
Speaking at the Benue Government House in Makurdi, the state capital, during a stakeholders’ meeting, Tinubu said: “Police, I hope your men are on alert to listen to information. How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals. “Christopher (the Chief of Defence Staff), you have given much. I watch your comments, you can’t be tired of staying in the bush.
Oloyede and the Air Marshal, we thank all of you, but we need to keep our ears to the ground, let’s get those criminals, let’s get them out. DG NIA, DG SSS, retool your information channels and let’s have tangible intelligence so that this will not occur again.” Gunmen believed to be armed herders launched a deadly assault last week Friday on the Yelwata community in Yelwata Local Government Area, a key agricultural region, resulting in numerous fatalities and the displacement of thousands.
The attack provoked widespread condemnation across the country and triggered protests in various parts of the state. Several opposition figures, including 2023 Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, criticised the killings and urged Tinubu and security agencies to act swiftly to halt the bloodshed.
Pope Leo XIV also lent his voice to the growing calls for justice, describing the incident as a terrible massacre and calling for immediate action to prevent further violence. In response, Tinubu, on Sunday, tasked Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State with initiating reconciliation efforts and facilitating dialogue among the conflicting parties as a step toward restoring peace.
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During a visit to the state on Wednesday, the president reiterated the importance of fostering understanding and peaceful coexistence among ethnic groups in the North-Central region. “We may belong to different ethnic groups—whether Tiv, Idoma, or Yoruba—but we are all under one roof as Nigerians. We must focus on building a united and prosperous nation, confronting our common enemies rather than turning on one another.
“This tragedy can be transformed into a catalyst for economic growth. We can achieve this together. We need to deepen our commitment to tolerance. The worth of human life cannot be equated with that of cattle,” he added. He further emphasized the need for collaboration to ensure peace, progress, and development. “We are here to govern, not to bury our people. We want to build families, not mourn them.
We want to provide them with healthcare, clean water, and food,” Tinubu stated at the gathering. To address the persistent insecurity in the state, Tinubu proposed forming a leadership committee made up of former governors, traditional leaders, and key stakeholders to work towards sustainable peace.
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“We must form this committee immediately and reconvene in Abuja to develop a comprehensive peace framework. I am fully committed to investing in this peace initiative,” he assured. The President called on citizens to donate blood for those injured in the recent violence and paid a visit to hospitalised victims during his time in the state.
Meanwhile, Governor Alia stressed the need for the creation of state police and the establishment of a special intervention fund to aid affected communities as essential steps towards lasting peace. According to the Governor, despite the complexities of implementing community policing, it remains a crucial tool in resolving the prolonged unrest in Benue.
The Tor Tiv V and Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council, James Ayatse, described the situation in the state as a deliberate and targeted campaign of violence. “We are deeply troubled by the continued distortion and mislabelling of the crisis in Benue,” the monarch said. “This is not a herder-farmer conflict, nor is it a case of communal disputes or retaliatory attacks.
Such misrepresentations have led to misplaced calls for tolerance or negotiation. “What we face is a systematic, long-running genocidal assault and land-grabbing operation perpetrated by herder-terrorists and criminal gangs. It has been ongoing for decades and intensifies each year. Mistaken diagnoses lead to ineffective remedies. We must recognize the grave nature of what is truly unfolding in Benue.”
