The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has called for the training of trustworthy youths across Benue State as local vigilantes under military supervision to defend their communities from terrorist attacks.
Speaking in Makurdi on Tuesday, June 17, at a meeting with traditional rulers, Musa cited the success of a similar arrangement in Borno State.
“We are tired of innocent souls being killed, and we’re here to ensure that we address such,” he said. “I’ll be going to see my commanders and we have to change our strategy.”
He noted that while the military was committed to restoring peace, communities must also play a role in protecting themselves.
“We’re going to look inward and see how we can address it, but as we mentioned, we cannot do it alone without the community, without the state.
“We need everybody to be part of it. We understand that even before now we used to have even within us people that compromise and give information because going around, you see the way some of the burnings were made, were targeted and which means they were insiders and so, I’ve discussed with the communities, the traditional rulers, with the clergy for us to work united,” Musa added.
He also warned traditional rulers to ensure that criminal elements are rooted out of their domains, saying he would not tolerate sabotage during efforts to protect Benue’s vulnerable communities.
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Meanwhile, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule visited Governor Hyacinth Alia in Makurdi to condole with the people of Benue over the recent killings in Yelewata.
Sule urged closer collaboration between the two neighbouring states to tackle the violence and announced a ₦150 million donation to support displaced persons in Benue.
The Defence Chief, who arrived Benue on Monday, had earlier toured attacked communities with the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Both officials ordered military commanders from neighbouring Nasarawa to review their operational strategy and take decisive action against terrorists.
Benue, one of Nigeria’s leading food-producing states, has been the target of prolonged violent attacks blamed on suspected herders.
Over 160 people have been killed in just two months, with the most recent attack on Friday claiming 59 lives in Yelewata and displacing more than 3,000 people.
The mass killings have drawn both national outrage and global concern. Pope Leo XIV condemned the “terrible massacre” and urged an end to the violence.
President Bola Tinubu, who is scheduled to visit Benue on Wednesday, has charged Governor Alia with initiating reconciliation and dialogue among affected communities. He has also ordered the military and security chiefs to immediately stop the bloodshed.