Benue Killings: Tinubu Orders Security Chiefs To Restore Peace As IGP Visits Today

Following the killings of dozens of people in Benue State at the weekend, President Bola Tinubu has directed security chiefs to implement his earlier directive to bring lasting peace and security to the state.

According to a statement by the presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu renewed his order in the wake of the latest round of reprisal attacks that led to the death of many people.

On the president’s directive, intelligence chiefs, the police and the military have arrived in the state to direct security operations and restore sanity.

Following the killings in Yelwata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State on Saturday, which triggered protests, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, is billed to visit the state today.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the Nigerian military has stepped up surveillance across the state capital Makurdi and its environs.

LEADERSHIP reports that farmers in the border communities of Benue and Nasarawa have continued to flee in droves following the recent attacks that have claimed many lives. Unconfirmed reports put the figure of people that died in the attacks at over 200 lives in Yelwata and Daudu communities of Guma Local Government Area.

Following the killings, thousands of irate protesters blocked the popular food basket roundabout in Wurukum, Makurdi, as early as 7am with fresh palm fronds in their hands, singing solidarity songs and appealing to the federal and state governments to end the killing of innocent people.

It was learned that the protesters resisted all pleas by Benue State Police Commissioner Ifeanyi Emenari and Deputy Governor Samuel Ode to vacate the roundabout and allow the free flow of traffic.

It was gathered that Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), intervened to prevail on angry Benue youths to end their protest and calm the tension.

Our correspondent reports that even the low-flying security helicopters hovering over the area did not scare the protesters, who stood their ground as they moved around with palm fronds and placards with inscriptions: End the Benue killings now; Government has failed us; We will not surrender our ancestral homes to Fulani; Enough of this bloodshed, among others.

The arrival of VDM brought calmness among the protesters, who struggled forward to catch a glimpse of him.

Addressing the angry youths on Bank Road, VDM appealed to them to open the barricaded roads to allow free traffic flow and put out the bonfires on major highways.

He told the protesters: “Gone are the days when youths embark on destructive protests. On my way here, I saw what I had never seen in my life. I saw children burnt to ashes, a lot of children, a lot of people, barns of crops, farms burnt in Yelewata, and we have a government?

“It is a pity for a government to allow foreigners come into the country and kill its people this way

“This insecurity has left a lot of youth jobless because when a state is insecure, no one would come and invest there. The youths will be frustrated, and some will turn to crime. So the government urgently needs to do something about it.”

 

   We Are Tired Of Being Slaughtered Like Chickens

One of the protesters, Lawrence Orla, told our correspondents that they embarked on the protest to demand government attention to end the killings of their fathers, mother, and siblings.

“We are tired of losing lives like chickens. Enough is enough of these killings and the occupation of our ancestral homes. These killings, which has started for years have become a daily occurrence. No one is safe anymore. The other day was North Bank, Yelewata is not far from Makurdi. We want the international community to know what is happening to us.”

 

IGP Deploys Special Forces To Benue

While appealing to the protesters to vacate the roundabout, Benue State Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi promised that the police were in control of the situation and gave assurance that the Inspector-General of Police had deployed the Police Special Forces and Tactical Teams to parts of the state to help put an end to the sustained attacks and killings.

He said, “What happened in Yelewata Saturday was because we have taken over Apa, Gwer West and are pushing in Agatu, and while they were exiting, they just wanted to do something to create the impression that they were in control.

“Some of the bandits were eliminated during the exchange of fire. So, with the support and reinforcement from the IGP, you can rest assured that we are in control, in collaboration with sister security agencies.

“We feel your pain. We are here for no other reason than the security of lives and property in the state. In the last month, we deployed security everywhere to ensure peace.”

The CP added: “At Yelewata, the Tactical Team exchanged fire with the bandits for over six hours. Before then, they were in the bushes, even up until now, as I speak to you. This killing will soon be over.”

At the time of filing this report, joint security personnel were seen patrolling the streets of Makurdi and its environs.

 

Reconciliation Meeting

 

President Tinubu has equally charged the governor of Benue State with convening reconciliation meetings and dialogue among the warring parties to end the incessant bloodshed and bring lasting peace and harmonious coexistence between farmers, herders, and communities.

Describing the killings and bloodletting as inhuman and anti-progress, President Tinubu called on political leaders and community leaders in conflict areas to stop fuelling the crisis through unguarded utterances and statements that could further inflame tensions.

“They should also rein in those who go out to cause provocations and ignite reprisal attacks. The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing. We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated. Enough is now enough. I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.

“Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings. This is the time for Governor Alia to act as a statesman and immediately lead the process of dialogue and reconciliation that will bring peace to Benue. Our people must live in peace, and it is possible when leaders across the divides work together in harmony and differences are identified and addressed with fairness, openness and justice.”

 

 IGP Visits Benue Today As CP Calls For Calm

The inspector general of police, IGP Kayode Egbetukun, is billed to visit Benue State today to assess the damage done to the village after suspected bandits attacked some villages in the state, where over 200 people are feared dead.

IGP Egbetukun is expected to visit the state capital and possibly the Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area, where the attacks occurred early Saturday morning.

A senior police officer, who told LEADERSHIP about the planned visit, stated that the police high command was worried about the incessant attacks in the state.

Meanwhile, the commissioner of police in Benue, Emenari Ifeanyi, has appealed for calm and assured the people of Benue of ongoing security operations to address the security challenges in the state.

The commissioner, while addressing the state’s youths, said, “I was monitoring and at the checking point for more than six hours. Tell your people to calm down. We need the support of the youth and everybody in Benue State. This is a phase, and we are passing through it already. We have already cut the head of the snake and will get the peace we deserve. Instead of being in the bush with other security agencies, we are here. If you prolong your actions here, you are giving an opportunity for the enemies to plan. We have intelligence of their movement, and we are blocking them.”

 

 Villagers Laud Police Response

Meanwhile, some of the villagers in Yelewata have praised the police in the area for responding to the attackers when the village was attacked.

In a viral video by activist Verdarkman on Instagram, one of the villagers (whose name was not given) was seen saying that the attackers had attacked the police station in the village before attacking the villagers.

The villager further explained that if not for the intervention of the police personnel, the death toll would have been more than 200, as the police personnel fought back and ensured more damage was not done to the village.

 

Gov Alia condemns attack  

Meanwhile, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has condemned the attack and killing of innocent citizens at Yelewata by suspected criminal herders.

The governor said nothing should warrant the taking of life.

 

Alia, who was represented by the deputy governor of the state, Sam Ode, on a visit to the scene of the heinous act earlier on Sunday, said he was not resting on his laurels to ensure that the state experienced peace.

“Governor Hyacinth Alia acknowledges and shares in your pains and grief caused by the attacks on your community by criminal elements suspected to be armed herdsmen,” the governor was quoted as saying via his chief press secretary on Sunday.

Pope Leo condemns Benue attack, prays for victims  

In faraway Rome, Italy,  Pope Leo XIV has led prayers for victims of the massacre of innocent souls, particularly in rural Christian communities in Nigeria’s Benue State, by suspected armed herdsmen.

This was contained on the X handle of the Vatican News under the caption: “Pope Leo prays for the victims of a ‘terrible massacre’ in Benue State, Nigeria.

The news item read in part: “Around 200 people were ‘brutally killed’ in Yelwata, in the Guma Local Government Area on the night of the 13th/14th June, most of them internally displaced persons ‘sheltered by the local Catholic mission.

“Speaking just before delivering the Sunday Angelus prayer, the Pope prayed for ‘security, justice, and peace’ in Nigeria, adding that he was thinking in particular of the ‘rural Christian communities of the Benue State who have been relentless victims of violence.”

Responding to the attack, Amnesty International Nigeria on Saturday called on Nigerian authorities to immediately end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue State and bring the actual perpetrators to Justice.

 We Must Hold Leaders Accountable – Atiku 

In his own response, former vice president and the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, condemned the recent attack in Yelwata, Benue State, which resulted in many deaths.

Atiku, in a statement posted on his X account, said the killings underscored the escalating insecurity crisis facing the country and called on Nigerians to hold their leaders accountable.

“I am deeply anguished and shocked by the devastating news of the fresh attacks in Benue State, where over 100 innocent lives are feared lost. These killings, once again targeting defenceless communities, underscore the escalating insecurity crisis facing our nation,” he stated.

He said the sorrow felt by those orphaned, displaced, and widowed by the attackers could not be adequately expressed in words.

“We must hold our leaders accountable and insist on sustainable solutions to the violent tragedies claiming lives across the country. May God comfort the grieving families, heal our nation, and help us reclaim peace and security for all,” the former vice president stated.

The former presidential candidate also called for compensation and support efforts, including medical aid, trauma counselling, and livelihood restoration, to be accelerated for survivors and bereaved families.

Atiku added, “This assault on innocent Nigerians is not just a local tragedy; it is a national emergency that demands immediate attention and decisive action. I call on all Nigerians, regardless of tribe or religion, to unite in condemning this atrocity.”