President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, ahead of his visit to the Yelwata community, in the Guma Local Government Area of the state.
Tinubu arrived at the Makurdi Airport located at the tactical air command, Nigerian Air Force Base, Makurdi, at about 12:58 pm.
The President is expected to meet with major stakeholders in the state in view of the violent attacks that have led to the loss of lives.
Expected at the meeting are key national and state-level figures, including the state governor, Hyacinth Alia; governors from across the country, particularly from the North-Central states; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume.
Also expected to attend are service chiefs, key members of the National Assembly, leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and other prominent individuals, especially those representing affected communities in Benue.
Other high-profile attendees include the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC), and key members of the National Assembly, especially those representing affected communities in Benue.
Traditional rulers from various ethnic groups within Benue are also expected at the meeting, given their crucial role in conflict resolution and community mobilization. The state’s complex ethnic and religious diversity makes their input vital in any lasting peace initiative.
The executive chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas in Benue, the Elders’ Council, and members of the Benue State House of Assembly are expected to be present.
Yelwata Attack
Bandits, suspected to be armed herders, last Friday, attacked the Yelwata community, leading to the death of at least 59 residents and the displacement of over 3,000 others.
The incident sparked a protest by angry youths who demanded an end to the killings in the state.
The killings were also condemned by prominent individuals, including the Catholic Pontiff, Pope Leo XIV; and major opposition leaders.
Following the directive of the President, the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, on Tuesday directed military commanders to go after those behind the renewed spate of killings in Benue State.
“We must find out where they are. We must go after them. And that’s the directive I’m giving my commanders.
“We have had some areas where we think they are holding up, where they are gathering. We’re going to go after them so that we can dislodge them. We shouldn’t wait until they come to attack people,” General Musa said during a meeting with traditional rulers in Makurdi, the state capital.
Spate Of Killings
President Tinubu’s visit to Benue State on Wednesday was triggered by the recent attack in the Yelwata community in the Guma Local Government Area last Friday.
According to Governor Hyacinth Alia, at least 59 residents were killed during the attack and hundreds displaced. Many of those affected, however, put the number of casualties above 200.
The North-Central state has been facing relentless attacks from suspected herdsmen over the years, and the attacks seem to have peaked in recent months.
So far this year, the state has witnessed no fewer than four attacks in six months that have claimed hundreds of lives and rendered thousands of families homeless.
33 Killed In Gwer West, Apa
Earlier in June before the recent attack in Yelwata, about 33 persons were reportedly killed by suspected herdsmen in coordinated attacks on the Gwer West and Apa local government areas of the state, leaving many residents missing.
72 In Ukum, Logo
In April, over 72 people died in another attack in Gbagir, Ukum Local Government Area, and the Logo Local Government Area, in the state.
The police had said that it received information that a large number of the suspected militia had invaded the Sankera axis of the state and the officers moved in to engage the militia in Gbagir.
It added that while the Gbagir operation was ongoing, another group of militia simultaneously attacked the neighbouring Logo local government area.
11 In Otukpo
Also in April, suspected herdsmen attacked the Otobi community in the Akpa district of the Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, leaving no fewer than 11 persons dead.
The marauders injured an unspecified number of persons in the attacks, with many houses burnt.
Before the April attack, Otukpo had earlier been attacked in February, where six persons were killed by suspected herdsmen in the Okpamaju community of Okete Ward and Asa settlement of Ewulo Ward.
The lawmaker representing Otukpo-Akpa in the Benue State House of Assembly, Kennedy Angbo, had told Channels Television that three days of sustained attacks in his constituency left many injured, displaced, and homes burnt down.
NSA’s Visit
When the attacks increased in April, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, visited Benue State and held a stakeholders’ meeting in Makurdi.
The visit, directed by President Bola Tinubu, came in response to the massacre in Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo Local Government Areas.
“What happened is a tragedy — an act of evil. But when evil comes, good people must unite to confront it. We will solve this problem together. Do not feel alone — this challenge affects us all,” Ribadu told the stakeholders.
The NSA emphasised that Benue remained a critical part of the country and pledged that the state would not be left to face the security crisis alone.
