•Tinubu to visit tomorrow
•17 Benue LGAs were under siege, now reduced to six —Governor Alia
•We can’t continue to be silent —Sultan of Sokoto
•Nigeria needs leader with competence, capacity, character, compassion —Obi
•Mark, ACF, MBF, CAN, Ohanaeze, others react

THERE were more outrages across the country on Monday as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, visited Benue State with a promise to further take the battle to the terrorists.

The defence chief, while on an on-the-spot assessment of the troubled communities of Benue State that have been under attacks by gunmen, said the military would double its efforts at ending the killings in the state and parts of the country.  

Musa, who spoke with newsmen at Yelwata community, after he assessed the carnage, said the attackers possibly had informants.

He said: “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, we are going to change our strategies to look inwards and see how we can address such. we cannot do it alone without the community.

“There may be issues of trust and 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.”

The CDS further promised to visit Nasarawa and Benue states based on the porous border.

“ 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, to restore peace and tranquility within the country.”

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun on Monday visited the state to commiserate with the people of the state over the merciless killing of innocent people in Yelwata, Benue State.

During his visit, Egbetokun promised the people of the state of more deployment of men to tackle the rising insecurity in the state.

According to the IGP: “On behalf of the  Nigerian Police Force, I extend our deepest condolences to your Excellency, your government and the people of Benue State and the bereaved families and all citizens that have been affected by these attacks.

“These mindless acts of terror are not just attacks on Benue people but they are attacks on the sovereignty and integrity of Nation. An attack on any community in Nigeria is an attack on the entire nation.

“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.

In his response, the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, described the attack as senseless one without provocation.

He said, “There was no cause for such bloodbath but it happened. We appreciate you and the entire service for before now responding to us appropriately with all the support in our fight of insurgencies in the state.

“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.”

Governor Alia further said that when he came to office, through hard efforts, he trimmed down the spate of attacks from 17 LGs which were in frontline of attack to nine Local Governments and later to six.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu will visit Benue State on Wednesday, as part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address the persistent conflict affecting communities in the state.

Special Adviser to the President, Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who announced this in a statement on Monday in Abuja, said the President has rescheduled his official visit to Kaduna State.

Tinubu’s visit to the state is aimed at assessing firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction.

President Bola Tinubu has rescheduled his official visit to Kaduna State.

Instead, he will travel to Benue State on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, as part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address the persistent conflict affecting communities in the state.

“The President’s visit aims to assess firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction,” Onanuga said.

Amid the ongoing killings by herdsmen in Benue State, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi, has said that Nigeria urgently needs a leadership that encompasses ‘Four Cs’: competence, capacity, character and compassion to be able to make progress as a nation.

According to him, the country is currently in deep trouble because a leadership with the above qualities is lacking, arguing that to achieve these qualities, Nigerians “must move away from voting based on tribe and religion.”

Taking to his X handle on Monday, Obi tweeted, “Competence because Nigeria today needs a leader who understands the issues, who has the knowledge, experience, and clear ideas to solve them. “Capacity because it is not a ceremonial position; it requires strength, stamina, and the mental energy to confront our complex challenges. And above all, leadership must be rooted in character and integrity because without integrity, public trust collapses, corruption thrives, and selfishness takes over. But perhaps most importantly, we need compassion because when a leader lacks compassion, human lives are treated as statistics, and suffering is ignored.

“Sadly, the evidence is right before our eyes. Recently, we witnessed severe flooding in Niger State that claimed nearly 200 lives, with many still missing. Yet, not even a single presidential visit, this, in a nation where the scene of the tragedy is less than an hour away by helicopter.

“Just days ago, over 200 Nigerians, innocent men, women, children, and even soldiers, were massacred in Benue State. Again, no presidential visit. No physical presence at the scenes of pain. No genuine national mourning. No leadership face to comfort the grieving or give hope to the people.”

Like Obi, the acting national chairman of Labour Party, Senator, Senator Nenadi Usman, tweeted on her X handle on Monday, saying: “The burning of homes, the ambush of security officers, the helplessness of internally displaced persons caught in these merciless attacks, all expose the continued failure of government at all levels to fulfill the most basic responsibility: to protect lives and property.”

Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI), under the leadership of its President-General, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar of Sokoto, has revealed that the continued silence on the killings in Benue State will not augur well for our wellbeing as a nation.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Secretary General of JNI, Professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu and issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Monday.

The statement said that the Sultan of Sokoto is deeply pained and genuinely disturbed by the renewed spate of gruesome killings and bloodletting in parts of Benue State.

It read: “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. Allah, the Most High says, “Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land – it is as if he had slain mankind entirely.” Qur’an 5:32.

“ It is therefore unacceptable that in a supposedly democratic and civilised setting, human lives are exterminated with such impunity, without any deterrence and/or timely justice against the devilish actors.”

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr George Akume, has commiserated with victims in the state. In a statement, Akume 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.

He called on all sons and daughters of Benue, “our leaders, traditional institutions, and key stakeholders to come together now — urgently — to forge a path toward lasting peace and security and rise above division and act decisively to protect our people and preserve our future.

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said it was greatly disturbed by the resurgence of yet another tragic episode of violence, leading to the gruesome death of scores of persons, and injuries to many, including women, children and the elderly, in Yelwata Community of Benue state.

In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Professor Muhammad Tukur Baba and made available to newsmen condoled with the members of the Yelwata Community, the Government and people of Benue State and indeed Nigeria as a whole.

The statement remarked that, “We pray for the repose of the souls of the dead, commiserate with the injured and wish them quick recovery.

Worried by the spate of killings in Benue and other parts of the Middle Belt region, the Middle Belt Forum has advocated for state-supervised self-defense as a solution for the incessant attacks and killings in Benue State and in the entire geopolitical zone.

This comes as a Fulani group, Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), blamed the state’s ugly development on the Benue State Government for its intolerance.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune over the development, the National Publicity Secretary of the Middle Belt Forum, Comrade Luka Binyat, expressed disappointment in how both the state and the federal governments were handling the tragic situation.

MBF said: “Both the state and the federal governments have not given the terrible situation the attention it deserves; those appointed as security advisors or ministers are like interested parties. The question that comes to mind is, can the Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu appoint an Iranian as his security advisor? Is there any wisdom in there?”

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has condemned the latest wave of attacks in the state.

In a statement issued by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, CAN described the killings as senseless and horrific, lamenting the immeasurable pain inflicted on affected families and communities.

“These senseless killings have inflicted immeasurable pain on families, devastated communities, and further entrenched the insecurity threatening our nation.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved and pray for the peaceful repose of the departed souls”, the statement read.

Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, has once again expressed deep concern over the continued and escalating killings of citizens in Benue State. He warned that 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.

A statement signed by his media aide, Paul Mumeh, was on the heels of killings of over 200 citizens of the North Central state over the weekend.

Senator Mark decried the deteriorating security situation in Benue, which has led to the loss of hundreds of lives and widespread destruction of property. He described the killings as “senseless, tragic, and unacceptable.”

He emphasized that the primary responsibility of any government is the welfare and security of its citizens.

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has decried the wanton killings in Benue, urging the Federal and Benue State Governments to end the needless bloodletting forthwith.

The group made the call in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr Ezechi Chukwu, and made available to newsmen in Enugu on Monday.

Ohanaeze said: “The deadly night attack, which has caused massive displacement, in addition to the loss of innocent lives and property, is seen by Ohanaeze as callous, inhuman and unacceptable.”