The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, visited Benue State on Monday, following the devastating attacks carried out by armed marauders last Friday that claimed numerous lives and forced hundreds from their homes.
Benue State, located in Nigeria’s North Central region, has long been plagued by brutal assaults from suspected herdsmen. While some have attributed the ongoing violence to disputes over land between indigenous farming communities and nomadic cattle herders, others link it to deep-seated inter-communal tensions.
In recent weeks, the bloodshed has continued without pause. More than 160 people have reportedly been killed across multiple communities in the state, which plays a key role in Nigeria’s food production.
Governor Hyacinth Alia recently noted that federal intervention has reduced the number of local government areas under siege from 17 to three.
Reacting to the escalating violence, President Bola Tinubu ordered security agencies on Sunday to fully enforce his directive aimed at restoring peace in the troubled state.
“The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing. We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated. Enough is now enough,” Tinubu said.
“I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.”
