Nigerian military and police launch joint manhunt for those behind recent Benue killings

NIGERIAN military and police bosses have launched a joint cross-border manhunt for the gunmen who killed around 200 villagers in Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State last Friday promising to bring the perpetuators to justice.

On Friday June 13, armed gunmen, suspected to be Fulani herdsmen, attacked the village in the middle of the night, hacking about 200 innocent people to death and setting homes alight. This latest attack has attracted widespread international condemnation and President Bola Tinubu has subsequently been under pressure to act.

In response to the calls for action, General Christopher Musa, Nigeria's chief of defence staff and Kayode Egbetokun, the inspector-general of police, both visited Benue State yesterday. They visited both the state capital Makurdi and Yelewata to coordinate the operation that would target the suspected killers.

After assessing the carnage, General Musa vowed to take the battle to the terrorists by changing the military’s strategy to fit the situation on the ground. However, given the manner of the attack, he expressed concerns that the attackers are operating with help from within the community.

General Musa said: “In every society, including the military, there are always people who compromise. I promise to meet with the commanders and find ways to change our strategies. In my estimation, it is one killing too many. From here, I’m going to see my commanders, and we are going to change our strategies to look inwards and see how we can address this.

“We need everybody to be part of it, we understand that even before now we used to have even within us, people that used to compromise and give out information. If you see the way some of the burnings were made, you know that they were targeted. It shows they have insiders.

“I want to assure Nigerians, the whole Benue State and all over the country, that we are determined, based on the mandate of Mr President, that we will restore peace and tranquillity within the country. We always have information that these people are coming from across borders, wherever they come from, we will go after them."

Mr Egbetokun, who described the attacks as a threat to the nation’s sovereignty, commiserated with the government and people of Benue over the killings. He said that although the criminal elements and bandits had hitherto operated in the state with impunity, it was now time to stop them.

“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 country.

“The criminal elements and bandits might have operated here 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,” Mr Egbetokun added.