Benue State is currently grappling with a severe security crisis marked by escalating attacks from herders and militia groups. These violent incidents have led to numerous fatalities, widespread injuries, the destruction of homes, and significant displacement of residents. In response to this dire situation, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has relocated to Makurdi, the capital of Benue State. He arrived on Tuesday morning, June 3, accompanied by his Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) and other senior officers from the Army Headquarters, to directly address the growing unrest.

The primary objective of Lt Gen Oluyede's visit is to assess the deteriorating security situation on the ground and implement decisive actions against the escalating militia violence. Upon his arrival, sources confirmed that the COAS ordered the immediate deployment of additional troops to Benue. His agenda includes holding strategic meetings with operational and unit commanders to evaluate ongoing security operations and collaboratively devise effective solutions to halt the persistent killings. Furthermore, Lt Gen Oluyede plans to visit troops' locations, operational bases, and the villages that have suffered attacks to reassure the affected residents of the army's commitment to their safety and to boost the morale of the soldiers.

Deeply concerned by the frequent and brutal reports of violence emanating from Benue, Lt Gen Oluyede is expected to make significant strategic decisions to tackle the crisis. These may include the redeployment of some commanders currently overseeing operational units in the affected areas. The Army Chief has indicated his intention to personally lead the troops in the operations against the armed groups and is anticipated to remain in Benue for several days to oversee the initial phases of the renewed efforts before returning to Abuja.

The recent wave of violence in Benue has been devastating, with some observers describing the attacks as ethnic cleansing. Gunmen, widely believed to be herders, have been reported attacking villages with sophisticated weaponry and machetes. Recent tragic events underscore the severity of the crisis: last weekend alone, 43 people were brutally killed in renewed attacks on multiple communities in Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas (LGAs). This followed an earlier horrific attack where herdsmen militia reportedly shot and killed Reverend Father Solomon Atongo along the Makurdi-Naka road and assaulted four communities in Gwer West LGA, resulting in 42 deaths, including that of a mobile police officer.

Amidst the escalating bloodshed, the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), a coalition of Catholic clerics, has made an urgent appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. During a press conference on Wednesday, the bishops implored the President to declare a state of emergency in Benue State to address the surge in violence. They decried the worsening insecurity not only in Benue but also in other parts of Nigeria, particularly the Middle Belt, where armed attacks on rural communities have led to countless deaths, widespread displacement, and the destruction of homes and places of worship.

Leading the call, Bishop Leonard Bature Kawas, President-General of the CBCN, expressed strong solidarity with Bishop Wilfred Chikpa Anagbe of the Makurdi Diocese. Bishop Anagbe has reportedly faced threats for his consistent and vocal condemnation of the atrocities committed against the communities in Benue. The CBCN highlighted that while violence has troubled Benue since 2001, recent years have witnessed a significant escalation in both the scale and frequency of these attacks, creating a humanitarian disaster that demands immediate and decisive federal intervention. “The persistent killings, displacement, and trauma inflicted on our communities are a grave affront to humanity,” Bishop Kawas stated.

The international dimension of the crisis was also highlighted, as Bishop Anagbe, alongside Reverend Father Remigius Ihyula, had previously testified before the United States House Foreign Affairs Committee (HFAC). During their testimony on March 12, they spoke about militants killing and forcibly displacing Christian farmers in Benue and raised concerns about an alleged ongoing campaign of Islamisation in the country. The CBCN is now appealing not only to the federal government but also to the wider Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria, civil society groups, and international human rights organizations to amplify the call for justice and the protection of human life in Benue, warning that inaction could lead to further devastation.