The Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has defended the training and deployment of credible youths across Benue State as vigilantes under military supervision to protect their communities from terrorist attacks
Speaking during a meeting with traditional rulers in Makurdi on Tuesday, General Musa said the initiative, which had yielded results in Borno State, could help curb the wave of killings in Benue. He urged the monarchs to expose criminal elements in their domains, warning that any sabotage would not be tolerated as the military intensifies efforts to restore peace.
Meanwhile, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State paid a condolence visit to his Benue counterpart, Governor Hyacinth Alia, over the recent Yelewata massacre. During the visit, Sule called for stronger collaboration between the two states and announced a ₦150 million donation to support displaced persons in Benue.
General Musa, who arrived in Benue on Monday, disclosed that the military would adopt a new strategy to combat terror in the region. He toured affected areas alongside the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and instructed field commanders from neighbouring states to review their operations and respond more decisively to attacks.
Benue, a major food-producing state in Nigeria’s North-Central zone, has long suffered deadly clashes believed to stem from disputes over land between farmers and nomadic herders. Over 160 people have been killed in the past two months, including 59 in the Yelewata area last Friday alone. More than 3,000 people were displaced in that attack.
The growing death toll has sparked national outrage and drawn international attention, with Pope Leo XIV condemning the “terrible massacre” and calling for an end to the bloodshed.
President Bola Tinubu has directed Governor Alia to convene reconciliation meetings between farmers and herders and urged security agencies to put an immediate end to the violence. The President is expected to visit the state on Wednesday.
“We’re tired of innocent souls being killed,” General Musa said. “We must change our strategy. We need the support of communities, traditional leaders, and the clergy. Some of these attacks were clearly aided by insiders. This must stop.”
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, General Christopher Musa, has advocated the training and deployment of credible youths across Benue State as vigilantes under military supervision to protect their communities from terrorist attacks){kind=link}