Following the gruesome massacre of over 100 residents in Yelwata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area, the Nigerian military on Sunday intensified security operations by deploying aerial surveillance over Makurdi and surrounding areas in Benue State.
Residents observed low-flying military aircraft monitoring key locations in the state capital and neighbouring Guma and Gwer West LGAs throughout Sunday morning.
A senior military officer, who requested anonymity due to protocol restrictions, confirmed the operation was aimed at enhancing situational awareness for a swift response.
“The air surveillance is to monitor the situation of things around Makurdi and its environs, so we will know how to tackle it swiftly. The residents should not panic, the military is on top of the situation,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has assumed full control of security efforts in the state in response to the attacks, which left scores dead and many others wounded.
Protesters gathered at Wurukum Roundabout in Makurdi on Sunday, waving tree branches and calling on the Federal Government to protect all citizens across the country. Protest leaders Brahms Ikuan and Gideon Inyom decried the unrelenting violence in the state, accusing authorities of neglect.
Attempts by Deputy Governor Sam Ode and Benue State Police Commissioner, Emenari Ifeanyi, to address the demonstrators were met with resistance. The police eventually dispersed the crowd with teargas.
Speaking to journalists, CP Ifeanyi confirmed the IG’s intervention. “The IG has taken over the security of Benue State. As I speak to you now, the IG has already sent Special Forces who are already on the ground and more are coming. All the Special Forces are intelligence forces; they will go to where the bandits are and get them,” he assured.
Ifeanyi noted that the newly arrived forces had been deployed to Naka, Apa, Agatu, Daudu, and Yelwata, asserting that law enforcement was in control of the situation. He also confirmed that some suspects had already been arrested and that all security agencies were working in unison.
According to him, Governor Hyacinth Alia has provided full logistical support. “All the logistics, every support we need has been made available by Governor Alia. We want everyone to be patient,” he said.
He attributed the latest attack on Yelwata to the recent push by security operatives into formerly bandit-controlled zones. “What happened in Yelwata yesterday is because we have taken over Apa, Gwer West and moving seriously in Agatu. They just want to do something to show they are in control while they are not and will never be,” he stated.
The CP emphasized that tactical units had already infiltrated the forest areas before the attack and said actionable intelligence was guiding their operations. “We have intelligence reports of their movement and we are blocking them and you will see the result,” he said, urging citizens to give security forces space to work.
Reacting to the bloodshed, President Bola Tinubu directed security agencies to take immediate and decisive action to restore order in Benue State. Intelligence chiefs, police commanders, and top military personnel have reportedly landed in the state to lead operations.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu also called on Governor Alia to convene peace dialogues and lead reconciliation efforts among the warring factions.
“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,” the statement read.
Condemning the killings as “inhuman and anti-progress,” Tinubu urged political and community leaders to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric that could escalate tensions.
“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,” the President said.