Almost one week after gunmen locked people; including children, women and elderly inside their rooms, macheted them, poured petrol on them and set them ablaze at Yelewata community in Guma local government area of Benue State last Friday night, Nigeria President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday at a town hall meeting in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, confirmed that Nigeria security operatives have made no arrest since the incident occurred while apparently taking advantage of the ceremonial like town hall meeting to query the Inspector General of Nigeria Police Force, Kayode Egbetokun and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa for not making arrest ever since the incident occurred, with the Presidency in a press statement on Wednesday confirming that 100 people were killed in the attack but local media and residents stated that more than 200 people were sent to their early grave during the attack, this, Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications after visiting the Yelewata community a day ahead of the president visit to Makurdi, was seen in one of the photographs with a caption “Wednesday: Yelewata Village Market that was attacked. A walk through. President Tinubu, Commander In Chief arrives Makurdi” posted on his personal verified X social media handle, apparently covering his nose with a thick handkerchief probably following the unpleasant condition of the environs that he could no longer endured the odours or stench emitting in the environment as a result of the mass murder, with the two time former governor of the state, and Senator that once represented Benue North West Senatorial District which Yelewata is inclusive, and the current Secretary to the Government of Federation in Nigeria, George Akume saying that on Tuesday when he visited the crime scene, the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH  and the camp where the Internally Displaced People are currently taking refuge, survivors from the attack spoke to him through tears and after watching some of them at the hospital beds battling for their lives, the SGF said “The Pain Is Raw”.

On Thursday afternoon, reports from Yelewata indicated that victims of the attack camped at the international market, have blocked the road in protest over alleged poor food supply, also accusing government officials of mismanaging relief materials meant for them.

At the Town Hall meeting with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the paramount ruler of the Tiv tribe, Tor Tiv James Francis Ayatse challenge what he described as dangerous misrepresentations of the Benue crisis.

“It’s not herders-farmers clashes, not communal clashes or reprisal attacks. It is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits”, the traditional ruler stated.

He warned that the mislabeling of the crisis had fueled dangerous policy prescriptions.

“Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment. This is war,” the monarch declared, describing the attacks as a decades-long campaign against the Tiv and Idoma people.

According to Peoples Gazette news media, “About 100 persons including toddlers were “locked up and burnt in their bedrooms” in an overnight attack by suspected herdsmen in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Benue State, Amnesty International claimed in a statement on Saturday.

Community leader, Matthew Mnyan put the death toll at 200, noting that the number of wounded people exceeded 40.

Children’s throats were slit, and petrol was poured on some residents before the attackers set them ablaze, said Mr Mnyan who is among the community leaders in Yelewata and previously worked as acting chairman of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board.  

The suspected herdsmen attacked Yelewata from two ends between late Friday and early Saturday, killing everyone in their path including youths and security agents who tried to fend them off. The herdsmen, in their large numbers and coordinated attacks, overpowered them.

Mr Mnyan said the herders attacked the communities around 11pm on Friday from the Western part and met fierce resistance from the youth and other security agents.

He explained that another group of herdsmen attacked Yelewata from the Eastern part and overpowered the youth before launching the attacks on the residents, most of whom were internally displaced persons from other parts of the state who sought refuge in market stalls due to their proximity to police stations.

“They killed our people, poured petrol on the stalls in the market and burnt them,” Mr Mnyan said. “In those stalls, we had people who moved from places such as Branch Udei and people displaced from nearby villages, who slept in them because of the proximity of the police and soldiers there. And we learnt no soldier came out to defend the people.”

The community leader said the death scenes were gruesome as families of 12 and 15 were burnt beyond recognition.

“As of now, from the names they are putting together, and the number of families and people that were burnt and killed are running to over 200 now. They killed and burned people in the houses. They will pour petrol and burn the whole place where people were sleeping. We had a family of 15, some families of 12, men with their two wives, children and every one of them burnt. It is a terrible sight,” said the community leader”.

Punch Newspaper in a report on Thursday citing News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, stated that “the Benue State Coordinator of National Youth Service Corps, Mrs Veronica Garba, said that corps members in crisis areas have been evacuated into family houses in Makurdi.

Garba made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Wannune, Tarka Local Government Area of Benue.

The coordinator said that as soon as they heard about the crisis, the management communicated with the police who evacuated the corps members from both Yelewata and Daudu areas.

Garba said the corps members were instantly settled at their family houses, including offices of the Nigeria Corpers Christian Fellowship, National Association of Catholic Corps Members, and Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria.

“We do not joke with the safety of our corps members because we take them as our children so as soon as we heard about the crisis, we contacted the Commissioner of Police who detailed his officers to help us evacuate our corps members.

“We then did our head count and none was missing so we arranged with the heads of all the family houses and got them settled in Makurdi for now pending when the situation will improve”, she said.

She urged parents to be calm, saying that their children were safe.

The coordinator also assured parents that with the relocation of security chiefs to Benue, the situation would improve.

“I am sure that the parents of our corps members have heard that all the security chiefs have moved to Benue, so they have no reason to fear.

“Above all, God, who is the safest security is everywhere; He is with your children too”, Garba said.

Bayo Onanugu, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy in a news release on Wednesday stated that “President Bola Tinubu has directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, to immediately arrest killer herders who perpetrated the heinous killing of over 100 people in Yelewata community in Benue State.

President Tinubu gave the directive while addressing stakeholders at the Government House, Markudi.

The meeting included the Secretary to the Federal Government, George Akume, Traditional Rulers, and former Governors of the state.

The governors of Kwara, Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, and Nasarawa also attended the meeting.

President Tinubu called out the Inspector General of Police to know why arrests have not been made.

“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,” President Tinubu said.

He urged the heads of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to intensify surveillance and gather actionable intelligence to apprehend the perpetrators.

He told the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, of the need for vigilance and collaboration between communities and security forces.

Advising (Benue State) Governor (Hyacinth) Alia on the importance of stakeholder management for peaceful and progressive governance, the President urged the governor to set up a peace committee in the state that will include former governors of Benue, elders, traditional rulers, federal government officials, and non-indigenes living 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,” he said.

President Tinubu urged Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State to allocate land for ranching and directed the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to follow up.

He called for blood donations to support the injured receiving treatment at the Benue State Teaching Hospital, where he had earlier visited victims and medical staff.

While underscoring the importance of peace for sustainable development, President Tinubu implored the Governor to ensure Benue is peaceful, adding that the circumstances of his visit this time should not have been a reason to visit.

“I wanted to come here to commission projects, to reassure you of hope and prosperity, not to see gloomy faces. But peace is vital to development,” he said.

“The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people”, he stressed.

He charged Governor Alia with working with the federal government to restore peace.

“Governor Alia, 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 that 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,” the President emphasised.

In his remarks, Governor Hyacinth Alia appealed to the Federal Government to establish a Special Intervention Fund for communities affected by repeated violent attacks across Benue State.

“Your Excellency, 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.

Governor Alia said the fund would support the rehabilitation of displaced persons, reconstruction of destroyed homes and infrastructure, and the restoration of livelihoods, especially for farmers.

He reiterated his support for establishing state police as a lasting solution to insecurity.

The Governor pledged his administration’s full commitment to building a safe, stable, prosperous Benue State.

Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council, Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Professor James Ayatse, praised President Tinubu for being the first sitting President to personally visit victims in the hospital in the wake of such a tragedy.

He thanked the President for appointing notable Benue indigenes into key positions, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, while expressing hope that more appointments would follow.

On the recurring spate of insecurity in the state, the monarch took time to address misinformation and mischaracterisation, saying that land grabbing is at the core of the decades-long conflict.

“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 cautioned that mischaracterising the crisis had led to inadequate responses and accused some political actors of exploiting the situation for selfish gain.

“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.

He therefore appealed to President Tinubu to restore peace to the state and every part of Nigeria.

“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.”

Days before the President visit, Bayo Onanuga had stated in a press release that  “President Bola Tinubu has directed security chiefs to implement his earlier directive to bring lasting peace and security to Benue State.

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.

President Tinubu has equally charged the governor of Benue State with 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.

Describing the killings and bloodletting as inhuman and anti-progress, President Tinubu called on political leaders and community leaders in conflict areas to stop fuelling the crisis through unguarded utterances and statements that could further inflame tensions.

They should also rein in those who go out to cause provocations and ignite reprisal attacks.

“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.

“Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.

“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.”

Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation said in a statement issued via his social media handle and stated that; “I returned home, ahead of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s condolence visit to Benue, weighed down by the grief of the Yelewata killings. I was at the sites of the attack, met survivors who spoke through tears, & visited those fighting for their lives at BSUTH. The pain is raw. The sorrow is deep.

At the Market IDP camp, I met families still reeling from loss — displaced, grieving, and living in difficult conditions. Their resilience moved me deeply. This crisis has gone on too long. No one deserves to live in fear or uncertainty in their own homeland.
This really hurts.

I brought Mr. President’s heartfelt condolences to the people & the FG’s commitment to end this pogrom. But I also bring my personal vow too- I will not abandon my own. I will stand with you- and we will not rest till our homesteads are secure & peace returns to our lands”.

We had reported that the Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Lormem Alia has confirmed the killing of 23 persons by herdsmen who invaded the Naka community and other communities in Apa and Gwer West local government areas on Sunday.

Osazuwa Akonedo

Osazuwa Akonedo is a Nigerian media professional, author, and consultant. His work spans various sectors of communication and literature: Journalism and Media: He is the founder of OsazuwaAkonedo, which focuses on news analysis and commentary. He also provides consultancy services in media and banking. Literature: He is a published playwright and author of Nigerian literature. One of his notable works is the drama titled The End Shall Tell: What Exam Malpractice Can Cause, which addresses educational and social issues in Nigeria. Reporting: He frequently reports on regional news, particularly concerning Edo State and broader Nigerian current affairs. Credit: Google Gemini AI Mode Osazuwa Akonedo is a Nigerian media creator, journalist, and entrepreneur who engages audiences via news reporting, social media content, music, and a mobile application. Professional Background and Company Osazuwa Akonedo is associated with OSAZUWAAKONEDO LIMITED, a company registered in Nigeria that operates in media consultancy and news services  The company is headquartered in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria, and has been active in publishing news in various formats including text, audio, video, and photos  Social Media and Online Platforms Osazuwa Akonedo maintains a strong online presence on several platforms: TikTok: Shares news updates and reports, for example, covering police operations in Nigeria  YouTube: Operates a channel where he uploads videos on current affairs and news content  Twitter/X: Active under the handle @akonedo_osazuwa, posting updates on events and news  Facebook: Profiles listing his connection to news and media activities can be found on Facebook  Mobile App: Offers a dedicated mobile application for news access through Google Play (Osazuwa Akonedo News App) providing text, video, and photo news formats  News Reporting and Content He produces news content covering national and local stories, including criminal activities, government updates, and investigative reports   His reporting spans multiple formats, making it accessible to a wide audience through online platforms, mobile apps, and social media  Other Contributions In addition to journalism, Osazuwa Akonedo has also ventured into audio releases, such as “Former Justice Minister Abubakar Malami Begs Nigerians For Justice” released on January 25, 2026   He also hosts podcasts documenting significant events, e.g, NDLEA arrests related to historical criminal cases  Summary Osazuwa Akonedo is a multifaceted media professional engaged in journalism, social media content creation, music, and technology via his news app. He utilizes platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Twitter/X, Facebook, and mobile applications to disseminate news and reach audiences both locally and internationally Credit: Azure AI

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