President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to ending the persistent violence in Benue State by ordering the nation’s security chiefs to immediately enforce earlier instructions aimed at restoring peace in the troubled region.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the presidency confirmed: “President Bola Tinubu has directed security chiefs to implement his earlier directive to bring lasting peace and security to Benue State.”
The renewed presidential order follows the recent deadly raid on Yelewata community on June 14, which reportedly left over 100 people dead.
The attack, described as one of the bloodiest in recent memory, has sparked outrage across the country and renewed calls for stronger action.
Acting on Tinubu’s directive, security and intelligence teams, including police and military officials, have now been deployed to Benue to oversee operations and reestablish law and order.
The statement further revealed that the president has urged the state governor to take an active role in reconciliation efforts.
“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.”
Highlighting the urgency of the situation, the statement added: “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.”
Condemning the spate of killings as unacceptable, the president labeled the acts as “inhuman and anti-progress,” urging security agencies to respond quickly and impartially.
He said: “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.”
President Tinubu also appealed to both political and community leaders to avoid inflammatory rhetoric that could exacerbate tensions.
“Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings,” he warned.
Addressing Governor Hyacinth Alia directly, the president called on him to embrace leadership through unity and inclusive dialogue.
“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,” Tinubu said.
He urged all stakeholders in the conflict to control elements within their groups who provoke violence and retaliation: “rein in those who go out to cause provocations and ignite reprisal attacks.”
International human rights organization Amnesty International condemned the June 14 massacre, asserting that government measures have so far failed to stop the violence.
“The horrifying killing of over 100 people by gunmen that invaded Yelewata from late Friday into the early hours of Saturday shows the security measures government claims to be implementing in the state are not working,” Amnesty said.
The group added that the situation in Benue has become a humanitarian crisis and insisted that the government must “immediately end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue State and bring the actual perpetrators to justice.”
DAILY GAZETTE reported that three security officers were killed and 16 others injured in the Yelewata incident.
The attack forms part of a disturbing pattern; only days earlier, on June 10, three young men were murdered in Edikwu-G’Icho, Apa LGA, while another individual, Sunday Dutse, was ambushed and killed along the Odugbeho-Ogbaulu road in Agatu LGA.
Governor Alia, in a recent interview with Channels Television, painted a grim picture of the situation in the state.
“We are under siege,” he said, adding that the violence was “directed, planned, and executed,” and not merely random clashes.
“We are receiving intel, and 60 to 65 percent of it has proven accurate,” the governor revealed, warning that what the state is facing are “organised acts of terrorism.”
