More a hundred Benue residents were killed last week after heavily armed attackers invaded Yelewata community, a situation President Bola Tinubu’s government blamed on Governor Hyacinth Alia’s alleged failure to act on a detailed security report on his desk.
Between 11:00 p.m. Friday and the early hours of Saturday, a number of suspected herdsmen attacked Yelewata, burning homes of farmers and their families, including women and children, and leaving charred skulls in their wake.
The presidency said the Yelewata massacre could have been prevented had Mr Alia not sat-tight on the two-year old security report prepared by a league of retired generals on how to address the herder-farmer violent clashes. The presidency revealed that the military document was “handed” to the Benue governor about two years ago.
Presidential spokesman Sunday Dare urged Mr Alia to “dust up” the document and implement the security recommendations.
“League of Retired Generals from Benue State 18 months ago handed a security brief to Governor Hycent (sic) Alia,” Mr Dare wrote in a public statement on Tuesday. “This is the time to dust up that document as President Tinubu charges all Stakeholders in Benue to find a lasting solution to the incessant farmers-herders clash.”
Tinubu and Alia have come under heavy criticisms by millions of Nigerians for their failure in handling of the security situation in Benue. These attacks have been going on for long in recent times and widely reported. Women, children, youth, old, farmers, internally displaced persons, are all victims of the series of attacks on various communities across Benue.
Mr Tinubu is scheduled to visit Benue on Wednesday. The Benue State government has declared Wednesday, 18 June 2025, a public holiday, in honour of hosting Mr Tinubu.
According to Mr Dare, past and current politicians, including lawmakers and ministers, had trooped to Makurdi ahead of Mr Tinubu’s visit.
“This time, a renewed commitment to stopping the bloodletting and finding a lasting solution seems on hand,” Mr Dare assured. “They have come around because they also believe that President Tinubu will engage and ensure that peace returns.”
Mr Alia had earlier released a public statement urging grieving residents to come out massively to give Mr Tinubu a “rousing welcome” despite the mourning state many are in across the state. Mr Alia has also stated explicitly that oppose the idea of self-defence for the locals.
