June 18, (THEWILL) – President Bola Tinubu has ordered the immediate arrest of killer herders responsible for the massacre of over 100 people in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
Tinubu issued the directive on Wednesday while addressing stakeholders at the Benue State Government House in Makurdi, during a high-level town hall meeting attended by state and national political leaders, traditional rulers, and former governors.
Present at the meeting were Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, as well as the Governors of Kwara, Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, and Nasarawa states.
Visibly angered by the lack of arrests, Tinubu directly questioned the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
“How come no one has been arrested for committing this heinous crime in Yelewata? Inspector General of Police, where are the arrests? The criminals must be arrested immediately,” the President demanded.
He also directed the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, along with the heads of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), to intensify surveillance and provide actionable intelligence to track down the perpetrators.
Addressing Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, Tinubu urged him to immediately set up a peace committee made up of former governors, elders, traditional rulers, federal government officials, and representatives of non-indigenous communities in the state.
“Let us meet again in Abuja. Let’s fashion out a framework for lasting peace. I am ready to invest in that peace. I assure you, we will find peace. We will convert this tragedy into prosperity,” the President said.
Tinubu also instructed Governor Alia to allocate land for ranching as part of efforts to resolve the persistent farmer-herder conflict.
He directed the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to follow up on the directive.
Earlier, the President visited victims of the attack at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, where he offered condolences and called for blood donations to support the injured.
“I wanted to come here to commission projects and to reassure you of hope and prosperity—not to see gloomy faces. But peace is vital to development. The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people,” Tinubu said.
He urged the Benue governor to work closely with the federal government to restore peace to the state.
“You were elected under the progressive banner to ensure peace, stability, and progress. You are not elected to bury people or comfort widows and orphans. We will work with you to achieve peace. You must also work with us.
“Not everyone will like you in politics. They hate me, too—like hell. But here I am, still your President. I made a promise to protect democracy, freedom, and prosperity, even for my abusers and accusers. That’s leadership,” he said.
Governor Alia, in his remarks, appealed to the Federal Government to establish a Special Intervention Fund for communities affected by recurring violent attacks.
“While we continue to mourn our losses and rebuild from the ashes of pain, we humbly urge the Federal Government to consider establishing a special intervention fund for communities affected by these incessant attacks in Benue State,” he said.
He explained that such a fund would support the rehabilitation of displaced persons, reconstruction of destroyed homes and infrastructure, and restoration of livelihoods, especially for farmers.
Alia reiterated his support for the establishment of state police as a sustainable solution to insecurity and pledged his administration’s full commitment to building a safe, stable, and prosperous Benue.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council, Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Prof. James Ayatse, commended President Tinubu for becoming the first sitting president to personally visit victims of such an attack in the hospital.
The monarch praised the President for appointing notable Benue sons into key national roles, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, and expressed hope that more appointments would follow.
Addressing the root causes of insecurity in the state, the Tor Tiv said the crisis was beyond clashes between herders and farmers.
“Your Excellency, it is not herder-farmer clashes. It is not communal clashes. It is not reprisal attacks or skirmishes.
“What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder-terrorists and bandits,” he said.
He lamented that mischaracterising the crisis had led to inadequate responses and warned that some political actors were allegedly exploiting the violence for selfish political gains.
“We hear that some politicians would even prefer that the crisis worsens so it would serve as a basis for declaring a state of emergency.
“This is unfortunate. Any politician who prays for more people to die for such a project is working against the wishes of the people of Benue State,” he said.
The monarch called on the President to restore peace to the state.
“All we ask of you, sir, is to stop our weeping. Give us peace in Benue State so our people, primarily farmers, can return to their farms and continue to produce food for Nigeria.
“I heard a story about a challenge in a place in Kwara State, and you rose and gave them peace in Kaiama. You can do that for Benue,” he appealed.
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