Benue killings: David Mark warns of self-defence as Tinubu visits

From Hope Abah (Makurdi), Baba Martins, Abbas Jimoh, Saawua Terzungwe, Dalhatu Liman (Abuja), Maryam Ahmadu-Suka (Kaduna) & Hameed Oyegbade (Osogbo)

Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, yesterday warned that residents of Benue State might be forced to defend themselves following the escalation of killings in the state.

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Mark, according to a statement by his media aide, Paul Mumeh, said the failure of authorities to address the security crisis could force residents to resort to self-help.

He described the killings, and the destruction of homes and livelihoods across the state as “senseless, tragic and unacceptable.”

“This is the unfortunate reality the Benue people are confronted with. The government must rise to its responsibility or risk leaving the people with no option but to defend themselves,” he said.

Mark called on the federal government to fulfil its constitutional obligation to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians.

He urged the Benue State government to intensify efforts to secure the state and restore public confidence.

He further appealed to traditional rulers, community leaders and stakeholders to remain vigilant and to support security agencies in identifying and bringing perpetrators to justice.

David Mark warns of self-defence as Tinubu visits

“This is a trying time for our people. We must stand together, mobilise, and speak with one voice against the invaders. We must not succumb to fear,” he urged.

He asked residents to remain law-abiding, united, and committed to the enduring values of community and brotherhood.

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu Tinubu has rescheduled his official visit to Kaduna State and will travel to Benue State on Wednesday over the violence in the state.

The presidency said the visit was part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address the persistent conflict affecting communities in the state.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, said the president’s visit was aimed at assessing firsthand the recurring crises that have claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction.

“During his stay, President Tinubu will meet with all stakeholders—including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups—to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.

“In preparation for the visit, President Tinubu has already dispatched the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, the National Security Adviser, and the chairmen of the Senate and House Defence committees to Benue State.

“The president is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit,” the statement read.

President Tinubu had earlier condemned the ongoing violence in the state and called on all leaders and residents to embrace peace, love, and mutual understanding.

He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to all those who have suffered losses as a result of the crises.

According to his itinerary released over the weekend, Tinubu was scheduled to visit Kaduna State on Wednesday to commission some state government projects.

However, the official visit will now occur on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

Tales of woe as CDS, IGP visit

Residents of Yelewata community in Benue State, where over 100 persons were killed at the weekend have continued to narrate their ordeals.

This is just as the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, visited the state for an assessment of the security situation.

A trader, Elizabeth Terhemba, sat in the ruins of her burnt shop as sympathisers helped her salvage what was left. Speaking to our correspondent, she said:  “It was raining heavily around 11pm when the attackers suddenly came. I still don’t know how I managed to escape. Others, including my co-wives and sister-in-law, were burnt to ashes inside the shop.”

Her stepdaughter, Janet Erdoo Terhemba, said she lost eight family members in the attack.

“I wasn’t around when it happened. At first, I was told my uncle was missing. Later, they said they found my father and stepmother. But my uncle and the others, including a toddler were burnt beyond recognition. They were butchered before they were set ablaze.

“My uncle was butchered, his wife too. In total, I lost eight people in one night. They include my two stepmothers, my uncle, aunt, another uncle, my little sister, and two cousins. They were all killed.”

Insiders aiding killers in Benue– CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who was at the scene of the incident to assess the situation and commiserate with Governor Hyacinth Alia and the people of the state, alleged that insiders were collaborating with the attackers.

The CDS said security operatives suspected that some individuals within the communities were giving vital information to the attackers.

“In my estimation, it is one killing too many. We have observed that the way some of the burnings were carried out shows they were targeted. It indicates the presence of insiders compromising security efforts,” the CDS said.

He stressed the need for everybody to be part of the fight to secure the environment.

He assured that the military would review its approach and work closely with local stakeholders to address the crisis.

“We are going to change our strategies to look inwards. But we cannot do it alone. We need the communities to be part of this effort,” he said.

The defence chief said consultations with traditional rulers, religious leaders and local communities had already begun to restore trust and collaboration.

“There may be issues of trust and we are going to address them. We want this to be the last attack of this nature. We will go all out to ensure peace is restored,” he added.

General Musa said measures being implemented in other parts of the country would be replicated in Benue.

He announced plans to visit Nasarawa State to strengthen border security coordination which he described as critical to curbing cross-border attacks.

“We always receive information that these attackers are coming from across the borders. Wherever they are coming from, we will go after them. We must not wait for them to strike first,” he said.

The defence chief urged young people not to lose hope, insisting that Nigeria must not surrender to the violence.

“This is our country. We can never give up our country for anything. And this madness must stop,” he said.

Insiders aiding killers in Benue – CDS

On his part, the Force Commander of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Major General Moses Gara, assured Benue residents of robust operational strategies, including deployment of additional troops to strategic locations to prevent further incursions by criminal elements.

Reacting to the CDS’s visit, the chairman of Guma Local Government Area, Maurice Orwough, said the visit brought renewed hope to the people of the area.

He said: “The visit of the Chief of Defence Staff gives our people in Guma LGA a sense of hope. It shows that the Nigerian government is genuinely concerned about the situation in Benue State. This visit allows us to provide him with first-hand information about what is happening here and what we need.”

He added that the visit would help rebuild residents’ trust in the federal government.

“The quick response from the authorities gives our people some confidence that the government is paying attention. It is a sign of hope for us,” Orwough said.

Killings, attacks are on Nigeria’s sovereignty, integrity – IGP

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, described the killings across Benue State as senseless and unacceptable.

He said the killings in Benue were attacks on the sovereignty and integrity of Nigeria.

Egbetokun, who visited Yelewata for an on-the-spot assessment, said he was in the state to commiserate with Governor Alia and the people of Benue over the attack on the rural community.

“We are here not only to sympathise with the governor and the people of Benue, but also to reaffirm our commitment to tracking down these criminal elements and bringing them to justice,” he said.

The IGP added that the Force was determined to work with other security agencies and relevant stakeholders to restore lasting peace in the state.

He stated, “These mindless acts of terror are not just attacks on Benue people but they are attacks on the sovereignty and integrity of the nation. An attack on any community of Nigeria is an attack on the entire nation.

“I want to assure you that the Police Force will stand with you and the entire people of Benue state on this. We are going to work closely with you and in close synergy with other security agencies to ensure that lasting peace returns to Benue State.

“We are aware of the vast terrain of Benue state and the security challenges it presents. We might not be able to cover every inch of the place but we are going to deploy adequately to ensure the protection lives and property in Benue.

“The criminal elements and bandits might have operated with impunity in the past but a day is fast approaching when they would come to attack but would never return. That day is fast approaching and I can assure you that we would continue to protect lives and property in the state.”

The IGP said he would support the state with police resources, working in synergy with other security agencies to make sure that “we defeat these evil.”

My state is bleeding – Gov Alia

Governor Hyacinth Alia told the CDS and the IGP that the state was bleeding.

He, however, said the CDS and the IGP’s visits reassured the people of the state that they were not alone in the face of ongoing insecurity.

He said: “The carnage that took place over the weekend was senseless. There was absolutely no justification for such bloodshed, yet it happened. Your visit today is a strong assurance to our people that we are not alone in this battle.

“We sincerely appreciate you and the entire security services for your timely response and consistent support in our fight against insurgency and insecurity in Benue State.”

Alia said when he came to office, he trimmed down the spate of attacks from 17 LGAs to nine and later to six.

He, however, expressed concern that there had been an upsurge of attacks recently such that his government hadn’t rested in the past two months.

“We are bleeding, we are in sorrow. I believe your visit is going to uplift our spirits and build within us formidable assurance of the fact that we are not alone but that you will be there for us.

“Again I’m confident that once our victims feel your presence, it will rekindle a hope in them as well. We are hopeful that with all hands on deck we would become victorious and the sorrowful narrative we share today would become a thing of the past,” the governor maintained.

Reject hate narratives, ACF tells Benue people, others

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) yesterday called on people of Benue and other violence-prone states to commit to rejecting hate narratives, fear and anger, and replace same with empathy and understanding, cooperation and reconciliation.

It also called on security agencies to double their efforts to stop further killings.

The ACF, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, condoled with members of Yelwata Community, the government and people of Benue State and Nigeria as a whole.

It prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead, commiserated with the injured and wished them quick recovery.

It also called for the immediate provision of adequate relief materials to the Yelwata and other affected communities by the federal and Benue State governments.

“ACF commends the efforts of Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State who has been visibly trying to fashion a new approach to finding lasting peace in the state, and refreshingly, through inclusive peace-building efforts to unearth the underlying causes of the cycle of violence. In doing so, impunity must not be allowed to continue to hold sway, all those found culpable must held to justice.”

In its own statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Professor Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) described the renewed killings in Benue as barbaric, inhumane, ungodly and a complete betrayal of “our common values as human beings.”

It called for intelligence-driven and proactive security to avert future recurrences, which it said was invariably becoming normalised.

The JNI also called on relevant stakeholders, government at all levels, religious bodies, civil society organisations and community leaders to come together in synergy and sincerity to end the repeated and avoidable carnage.

Benue violence has reached devastating crescendo – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, in a statement yesterday, said: “The violence in Benue has reached a devastating crescendo — a brutal and heartbreaking reality that cannot and must not be ignored. For years, families have buried their loved ones in silence, villages have been destroyed, and entire communities left in ruins, while those in power look on from afar, offering only hollow assurances,” Atiku said in a statement.

He questioned what he called the silence and inaction from government authorities, asking, “How much more suffering must the people of Benue endure before their humanity is acknowledged?”

According to him, the people are not asking for much — only the right to live in peace, sleep without fear, farm without being killed, and raise their children without the ever-present threat of violence.

“When citizens protest these atrocities, they are not rebelling; they are crying out for help.

“They are demanding what every Nigerian is constitutionally entitled to — the right to life, and the protection of that right by the state. Yet, what do they get in return? Tear gas. Police brutality. Disdain. It is like pouring hot oil on an open wound.”

He described the government’s use of force against grieving and defenceless citizens as cruel and inhumane — a betrayal of the sacred duty of leadership.

Atiku called on leaders at both federal and state levels to awaken their conscience and act decisively.

“This is a call to conscience. Stop turning a blind eye while Benue bleeds. Enough with the condolences, start offering real solutions. Collaborate with security agencies, deploy resources, and build a security framework that places human lives above political optics,” he said.

He emphasised that Benue is not alone in this tragedy, saying “From Plateau to Zamfara, Kaduna to Taraba, the cries are the same. Nigerians are bleeding and begging to be heard.”

Nigerians seek action

Atiku urged the people of Benue and other affected regions not to be silenced. “Raise your voices. Demand accountability. Demand justice. Demand a government that sees you, hears you, and protects you,” he said.

He concluded thus; “History will not be kind to those who chose power over people. The time to act is now.”

Earlier yesterday, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, berated President Tinubu for not traveling to Benue and Niger states in the wake of recent tragic events that claimed hundreds of lives there.

Obi, on his X handle, said true leaders show care and support by being present when people are suffering.

“There are critical areas of leadership that must exist for a nation to move forward, and these are summed up in four Cs: Competence, Capacity, Character and Compassion. Where these four are non-existent, there is no magic you can do.

Attackers not herders – N/Central forum

The leader of the North Central Peace Advocates, Frank Utor, said the perpetrators of killings in Benue, Plateau and other states in the zone are not herders, but international terror groups.

In a statement on Monday, Utor said: “The killers are not herdsmen. They do not rear cattle. They do not engage in any known pastoral activities. On the contrary, they rustle cattle from legitimate herders to raise money for their nefarious activities. They then weaponise the confusion to destabilise society.” According to him, if the federal government is not prepared to confront the reality head-on, the people of North Central would continue to be on the receiving end.

He urged the Benue State government to bring the perpetrators to justice.

“Intelligence and on-ground evidence indicate that the killers are well-trained members and affiliates of international terror groups, whose only mission is warfare against the indigenous communities of Benue, Plateau and other parts of North Central Nigeria.

“The killers don’t come on donkeys, or camels or horses; they ride on motorcycles, well-armed to attack communities and retreat to their camps.

“By describing these terror groups as herdsmen, government after government have misdiagnosed and downplayed this major national security threat to the peace and stability of Nigeria.

“This mischaracterisation is one of the greatest obstacles to ending the Benue and North Central crisis. It deprives the security agencies of the legal and operational clarity needed to confront the threat decisively.”

A non-government organisation, Lawyers Alert, in a statement by its president, Rommy Mom, said the latest Benue attack was a violation of the right to life as it targeted internally displaced persons (IDPs).

It urged President Tinubu to deploy a military battalion to protect Benue communities by establishing a special intervention fund and providing the tools, vehicles, intelligence and equipment needed to track and prosecute the perpetrators.

It advocated rights-based and community-led approaches to public safety, asking the federal and state governments to replicate and invest in community policing Committees (CPCs) as provided in the law.

Over 600,000 Nigerians killed under Tinubu – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement by Debo Ologunagba, its National Publicity Secretary, alleged that President Tinubu and the APC were “focused on politics and illusive re-election in 2027 while leaving the nation at the mercy of outlaws who have killed over 600,000 Nigerians in the last two years”.

It urged Tinubu to show leadership as the Commander-in-Chief and lead by taking decisive action to end the killings in the country.

The PDP alleged that the president had not shown the desired seriousness and concern needed to end the mayhem.

The party said it was alarmed by reports of how terrorists and bandits invaded and overran communities in “series of coordinated daily bloody attacks, unleashing violence, murdering hundreds of defenseless compatriots unchallenged.

“It is traumatic to watch the gory pictures and videos of Nigerians who were murdered in cold blood in Benue State and other parts of the country while President Tinubu and the APC carry on as if all is well,” it added.

Benue killings deep wound to Nigeria’s soul – Akume

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, described the continued bloodletting and mindless killings across Benue State as disheartening and condemnable.

In a statement yesterday, Akume said the latest attack on Yelewata was one among too many “and is not merely a tragedy for Benue, but a deep wound to the soul of the nation.

“These dastardly acts are not restricted to Benue State alone. Plateau and Zamfara states also suffer the same fate.  The innocent lives lost, men, women, and children, will not be forgotten. We mourn them not as strangers, but as brothers and sisters, bound together by a shared humanity and a common destiny.

“Beyond mourning, I call on all sons and daughters of Benue, our leaders, traditional institutions, and key stakeholders to come together now — urgently — to forge a path toward lasting peace and security. We must rise above division and act decisively to protect our people and preserve our future,” Akume said.

Security expert speaks

Appearing on Channels Television’s, The Morning Brief, yesterday, a security expert and Managing Director of Beacon Security and Intelligence Limited, Kabiru Adamu, raised concerns over what he called the growing fragmentation of local security responses in Benue.

He warned that overlapping structures might complicate coordination efforts.

“Benue may soon have four separate state-level security outfits, including the evolving Forest Security Guards,” he noted.

Adamu, who blamed the security situation on absence of intelligence, also said there were structural weaknesses within Nigeria’s public safety framework.

“There’s an absence of intelligence. To have 100 people killed in three days and no video, no voice recording, no evidence, we must admit that our public security system is failing,” he added.

He said the ongoing violence stemmed from a long-standing failure to properly diagnose the country’s security challenges.

“Threat elements come in, they attack, they kill, sometimes over 100 people in one go. They are not arrested, not prosecuted. That deterrence element in our system is not functioning.

“We need a system that holds these structures — federal and state — accountable when things like this happen. If we don’t, it will continue.”  Adamu added.