The military and the police have launched a joint, cross-border manhunt for the gunmen who killed around 200 villagers in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, on the night of Friday, June 13, 2025.
Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun arrived in Makurdi and Yelewata on Monday to coordinate the operation that would target the suspected killers.
Musa, after assessing the carnage, vowed to take the battle to the terrorists by changing the military’s strategy to fit the situation on the ground.
However, given the manner of the attack, he expressed concerns that the attackers are operating with help from within the community.
The Defence Chief briefed journalists in Yelewata, saying, “In every society, including the military, there are always people who compromise. I promise to meet with the commanders and find ways to change our strategies.
“In my estimation, it is one killing too many. We’re here to ensure that we address such. From here, I’m going to see my commanders, and we are going to change our strategies to look inwards and see how we can address this. We cannot do it alone without the community.”
Musa called for community support, arguing that the Armed Forces’ efforts will not yield much without it.
“There may be trust issues that we are going to address. For us we want this to be the last that would happen.
“We need everybody to be part of it, we understand that even before now we used to have even within us, people that used to compromise and give out information.
“If you see the way some of the burnings were made, you know that they were targeted. It shows they have insiders,” he stated.
The CDS also acknowledged the porous borders between Nasarawa and Benue states and promised to meet with the Nasarawa State Governor to discuss how to tackle the challenge.
He explained, “I want to assure Nigerians, the whole Benue State, and all over the country, that we are determined, based on the mandate of Mr President, that we will restore peace and tranquillity within the country.
“We always have information that these people are coming from across borders; wherever they come from, we will go after them.
“We must take the battle to them, we must not wait for them to attack, and that is what I think. It is very critical that tomorrow (Tuesday) we proceed to Nasarawa State because the borders are actually very critical to the success of what we are doing.”
While urging the youths to support the military, Musa sought support from every Nigerian too.
“We need Nigerians to support us. We must work together as a team. For the youths, please don’t give up. This is our country; we can never give up our country for anything. And this madness must stop,” the CDS said.
Gunmen stormed Yelewata village in Guma LGA of Benue State late Friday, June 13, unleashing one of the deadliest assaults the state has seen in years.
Amnesty International and local official reports say that at least 100 residents were killed, dozens remain missing, and hundreds nursing gunshot and burn wounds after attackers set houses ablaze through the early hours of Saturday.
Local police confirmed the raid but have not issued a final casualty figure, while emergency workers say many victims were internally displaced people who had taken refuge in the village after earlier attacks.
The Benue State government has launched a manhunt, but residents fear reprisals as the rainy season, peak period for disputed grazing and planting, sets in.
Pope Francis prayed for the “terrible massacre” during his Sunday Angelus.
It is the latest cycle of violence linked to farmer-herder tensions, banditry and a security vacuum that rights groups say allows perpetrators to act with “utter impunity.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, described the attacks as a threat to the nation’s sovereignty.
In Makurdi, the state capital, Egbetokun commiserated with the government and people of Benue over the killings. He said that, though the criminal elements and bandits had hitherto operated in the state with impunity, he vowed that it was time to stop the bloodshed.
“These mindless acts of terror are not just attacks on Benue people, but they are attacks on the sovereignty and integrity of the nation. An attack on any community of Nigeria is an attack on the entire country.
“The criminal elements and bandits might have operated here with impunity in the past but a day is fast approaching when they would come to attack but would never return.
“That day is fast approaching and I can assure you that we would continue to protect lives and property in the state,” the police chief said.
Egbetokun said while his men may be too few to cover the entire territory due to its vast terrain, more officers would be deployed to protect lives and property.
“We are aware of the vast terrain of Benue State and the security challenges it presents. We might not be able to cover every inch of the place, but we will deploy adequately to ensure the protection of lives and property in Benue.
“I want to assure you that the Nigerian Police Force will stand with you and the entire people of Benue state on this. We are going to work closely with you and in close synergy with other security agencies to ensure that lasting peace return to Benue state.
“We will support the state with all of our resources and synergize with other security agencies to defeat these evils,” he vowed.
Appreciating the IG for his support, Governor Hyacinth Alia lamented that Benue was in mourning not only for Friday’s attacks, but also those preceding it.
“We are bleeding, we are in sorrow. I believe your visit is going to uplift our spirits and build within us formidable assurance of the fact that we are not alone but that you will be there for us.
“But I’m confident that once our victims feel your presence, it will rekindle hope in them as well.
“We are hopeful that with all hands on deck, we would become victorious and the sorrowful narrative we share today would become a thing of the past,” Alia stated.
The governor, who acknowledged the last two as “trying” for the people of the state, expressed optimism that with the support of President Bola Tinubu and all security agencies, peace will return to the state.
“There has been an upsurge of attacks recently. We have not rested in the last two months,” he added.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu on Monday rescheduled his official visit to Kaduna State, earlier slated for Wednesday, June 18.
Instead, he will travel to Benue on the same date as part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address the persistent conflict affecting communities in the state. He will visit Kaduna on Thursday, June 19.
The President announced this while inaugurating the Greater Abuja Water Supply project.
“I sympathise with those who have lost their lives. I will adjust my programmes and see Benue people on Wednesday,” Tinubu said.
“The President’s visit aims to assess firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction,” Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said in a corroborating statement he signed Monday.
During his stay, President Tinubu will meet with all stakeholders—including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups—to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.
“In preparation for the visit, President Tinubu has already dispatched the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, the National Security Adviser, and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees to Benue State.
“The President is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit,” the statement read.
President Tinubu had previously condemned the ongoing violence in Benue State and called on leaders and residents to embrace peace, love, and mutual understanding.
Meanwhile, the President also directed security chiefs to implement his earlier directive to bring peace and security to Benue State.
He also charged Governor Alia to convene reconciliation meetings and dialogue among the warring parties to end the incessant bloodshed.
“On the President’s directive, intelligence chiefs, the police and the military have arrived in the state to direct security operations and restore sanity,” Onanuga said.
Ahead of his visit today, President Tinubu met with Governor Alia of Benue and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, a former Benue State governor from 1999 to 2007, to explore peaceful solutions to the underlying conflict.
Alia revealed this during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday.
“President Tinubu is not wrong to ask us to find common ground for peace. He invited the SGF and me because of what he was hearing from the public. He wanted to know if there was any issue between us,” Alia explained.
He clarified that there was no rift between him and Akume.
“The SGF himself said there are no differences between us. And if there were any before, going forward, there will be no problems at all. Our traditional rulers can sleep peacefully,” he added.
Governor Alia blamed external forces for fuelling the violence, stating, “We have a complex situation that is being sponsored and controlled from somewhere. We can handle the internal local government issues, but the real problem is with outsiders coming in armed with AK-47 and AK-49 rifles.”
He also dismissed claims that the Federal Government had not supported the state.
“If President Tinubu didn’t understand what was happening, he wouldn’t be giving us full support.
“Out of 23 local governments, 17 were under siege. We reduced it to nine, then six, and now just three. That progress was possible because of the support from the Federal Government,” the clergyman said.
In a related development, the SGF, Akume, says the Federal Government has deployed additional troops to Benue State in response to the latest attack.
In a statement condemning the massacre on Monday, he reaffirmed the FG’s resolve to end the violence.
Akume said President Tinubu swiftly ordered a full-scale military operation to flush out the perpetrators and restore peace in the area, following the “mindless and disheartening” killings in the state.
“I express profound appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, for his swift directive for a full security operation to rid Benue of these killers and bring the perpetrators to justice.
“It is to be noted also, that the Federal Government has rendered assistance through NEMA, while more troops have been deployed to Benue state to handle the explosive situation,” he stated.
Expressing grief over the brutal killing of scores of innocent men, women, and children in the state, Akume described the incident as a wound to the nation.
He said, “The continued bloodletting and mindless killings across Benue State are both disheartening and utterly condemnable.
“This latest reprehensible act — one among too many — is not merely a tragedy for Benue; it is a deep wound to the soul of our nation.
“These dastardly acts are not restricted to Benue State alone. Plateau and Zamfara states also suffer the same fate. These killings are economic deterministic, not religious driven,” he stated.
Akume called on leaders and stakeholders in Benue to set aside differences and urgently unite to chart a sustainable path to peace, saying, “We must rise above division and act decisively to protect our people and preserve our future.”
Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, on Monday, warned the FG that the people of Benue State may resort to self-help and defend themselves if it continues to fail in its fundamental duty of protecting lives and property.
Mark gave the warning in a statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser, Paul Mumeh.
According to him, the primary responsibility of any government is the welfare and security of its citizens.
“The situation may compel residents to resort to self-help and defend themselves if the government continues to fail in its fundamental duty of protecting lives and property.
“This is the unfortunate reality the Benue people are confronted with. Government must rise to its responsibility, or risk leaving the people with no option but to defend themselves,” he said.
Senator Mark urged the Federal Government to fulfil its constitutional obligation to safeguard the lives and property of all Nigerians.
He also called on the state government to intensify its efforts in ensuring the safety of the people.
The former Senate President appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders, and stakeholders to remain vigilant and cooperate fully with security agencies in identifying and apprehending those behind these heinous crimes.
To the people of Benue, Mark offered a message of solidarity and resilience, saying, “This is a trying moment for our people. We must unite, mobilise, and speak with one voice against the invaders. We must refuse to bow to fear,” he added.
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) and Jama’atu Nasril Islam have condemned the killings in Benue. They called on the security agencies to double down on their efforts to prevent further bloodshed.
The ACF described the incident as a “gruesome episode of violence” and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
“ACF categorically and unequivocally condemns the senseless killings that continue to escalate for far too long, every time with tragic consequences, and potent threats to the shared destiny in Arewa and indeed in Nigeria,” said Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, National Publicity Secretary of ACF, in a statement in Kaduna on Monday.
The forum called on the security agencies to review their curtailment strategy and adopt proactive measures, including vigilance and improved intelligence gathering, to prevent further violence.
“Proactive measures, including vigilance, improved intelligence gathering must be the crucial ingredients of new curtailment strategies against the recurring cycle of senseless violence.
“The immediate provision of adequate relief materials to Yelwata and other affected communities by the Federal and Benue State Governments is necessary,” the statement read.
Similarly, JNI, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, condemned the killings, describing them as “dastardly and barbaric.”
“It is inhumane, ungodly, and a complete betrayal of our common values as human beings. The sanctity of human life is sacrosanct and must not be toyed with,” the organisation said.
JNI’s statement, signed by its Secretary-General, Prof. Khalid Abubakar-Aliyu in Kaduna on Monday, began with a call to action, saying, “Enough is enough. Our collective silence or indifference may only serve to embolden the enemies of peace and national unity in Nigeria.”
In a similar vein, a United Kingdom-based faith organisation, Christian Solidarity Worldwide – Nigeria, condemned last Friday’s attack.
The CEO of CSW-N, Rev. Yunusa Nmadu, stated, “It’s unfortunate that Benue, once touted as the food basket of the nation, is grappling with hunger due to the inability of its people to till their farms.
“I urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, move from mere rhetoric and perfunctory condemnation to a sincere, committed, and single-minded determination to halt the killings not only in Benue but in other states across the nation, which are bleeding from the menace of armed herdsmen.” – Punch.
