The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, on Monday, raised the alarm over alleged insider collaboration with armed invaders behind a fresh wave of killings in Benue State.
General Musa made the disclosure during a visit to Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area, where over 100 residents were reportedly massacred by unidentified gunmen on Saturday. The attack is the latest in a series of deadly raids that have plagued the region.
“The manner in which these killings and burnings were carried out suggests deliberate targeting,” the Defence Chief said.
“This clearly points to insider involvement. There are people within the community feeding information to these attackers.”
Musa, who visited the area to assess the security situation and commiserate with Governor Hyacinth Alia and the people of the state, described the attack as “one killing too many.”
He revealed that security operatives were already interrogating leads pointing to internal collaborators aiding the armed groups. “We are not going to take this lightly,” he added.
The Defence Chief vowed a change in operational tactics, saying the military would now adopt a more localized and intelligence-driven approach to counter the attacks.
“We are changing our strategy to look inward. But we cannot succeed without the communities. Everyone has a role to play,” he said.
General Musa also announced that consultations had commenced with traditional rulers, religious leaders, and other key stakeholders to rebuild trust and strengthen cooperation.
“There may be issues of trust, but we are addressing them. We want this to be the last time such an incident occurs. We will go all out to restore peace,” he declared.
The CDS hinted at plans to replicate successful security strategies from other parts of the country in Benue and its environs. He also disclosed a forthcoming visit to Nasarawa State to tighten cross-border security coordination.
“We often receive intelligence that these attackers come from neighbouring states and beyond. Wherever they are hiding, we will go after them. We must not wait for them to strike first,” he said.
He appealed to youths in the affected communities not to give up hope, insisting that Nigeria must not surrender to the forces of violence and disintegration.
“This is our country. We can never abandon it. This madness must stop,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Guma Local Government Area, Maurice Orwough, expressed optimism that the CDS’s visit would rekindle the people’s confidence in government intervention.
“The presence of the Chief of Defence Staff in our community sends a strong message of hope,” Orwough told PLATFORM TIMES.
“It shows that the federal government is genuinely concerned about our plight. We were able to give him first-hand information about what we are facing here.”
He added that the military’s swift response and continued engagement would help restore trust among displaced and traumatised residents.
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