Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has identified three key problems fueling the violence in Yelwata, Benue State, where suspected herders launched a deadly attack.
During a visit to the state on the 17th of June 2025, he explained that the conflict between farmers and herders stems from a combination of land ownership disputes, cattle movement, and rustling.
He emphasized that a political approach is the only meaningful way to address the crisis.
“There are two or three issues.
One is the issue of land. Indigenes or non-indigenes. It is critical. Which can be sorted out politically. Secondly is the issue of the movement of animals.
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If the animals don’t move, we don’t have an issue. We also have the issue of animal rustling. These are the critical aspects that must be addressed,”
His comment was captured in a video shared by Channels Television.
This follows the mass killing of more than 300 residents in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, during coordinated attacks on the 13th and 14th of June, 2025.