President Bola Tinubu has pledged that the Federal Government will confront the issue of land-grabbing head-on if it is found to be at the root of the recurring attacks in Benue State, particularly the recent massacre in Yelwata.
Speaking on Wednesday during a town hall meeting with stakeholders in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, Tinubu said Nigeria must put an end to the violence that has claimed hundreds of lives and displaced entire communities.
Naijaonpoint reports that the President declared, “We were not elected to bury people and have orphans and orphanages. We will work with you to achieve peace.”
The President acknowledged the rising tension over land disputes and directed that it be addressed holistically.
Tinubu said, “We have to confront this if it is about land grabbing. We must learn how to share and accommodate. We have enough land to feed, raise our children, and cultivate happiness and prosperity.”
Referencing the national anthem, Tinubu further stated, “Though tribe and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand. Let it reflect in everything we do.”
To chart a long-term solution, President Tinubu directed the formation of a Benue Elders’ Peace Committee made up of former governors, non-indigenes, and traditional rulers, specifically, the Tor Tiv and Och’Idoma.
He said, “Let us please find a way to form a committee of elders… to really find a permanent outcome to this. The committee will meet in Abuja and I’m ready to invest in that peace.”
The goal, he stressed, is to transform the state’s suffering into prosperity through unity and dialogue.
Tinubu also issued a stern instruction to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to immediately arrest those responsible for the killings in Yelwata, where over 200 residents were slaughtered by armed herders last Friday.
“We will not tolerate such heinous crimes. The killers must be brought to justice,” he ordered.
Although the President was scheduled to visit the Yelwata community directly, he explained that the trip was aborted due to poor road conditions and rainfall.
Tinubu stated, “I aborted my visit to Yelwata because of the rains and bad roads, but I have seen the carnage on camera. We will do something about the redevelopment and recreation of that environment.”
Earlier, he paid a visit to survivors of the attacks receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi.
The President expressed deep regret that his visit to Benue came under such grim circumstances.
“This is not the kind of visit I would have wanted. I want to be here to commission projects in the state for progress and development,” Tinubu said.