Tinubu to Visit Benue, hold strategic meetings On Wednesday
…Defence chief, IGP visit Benue community to assess aftermath of attacks
President Bola Tinubu Tinubu has rescheduled his official visit to Kaduna State and will now travel to Benue State on Wednesday over the renewed violence in the State.
The Presidency said the Presidential visit was part of renewed efforts to foster peace and address the persistent conflict affecting communities in the state.
Over 200 residents of Benue has been killed in the last few days since the last round of violence started to the weekend leading to outrage among citizens.
In a statement on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said the President’s visit was aimed at assessing “firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction.
“During his stay, President Tinubu will meet with all stakeholders—including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups—to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.”
Onanuga said, “In preparation for the visit, President Tinubu has already dispatched the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, the National Security Adviser, and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees to Benue State.
“The President is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit.”
President Tinubu has previously condemned the ongoing violence in the State and called on all leaders and residents to embrace peace, love, and mutual understanding.
He extended his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and to all those who have suffered losses as a result of the crisis.
According to his itinerary released over the weekend, President Tinubu was scheduled to visit Kaduna State on Wednesday to commission various state government projects.
However, the official visit will now occur on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
Earlier, Peter Obi, one of Tinubu’s main rival in the 2023 elections, tackled Tinubu for not visiting Benue and Niger which recorded tragedies that resulted in loss of lives recently
Defence chief, IGP visit Benue community to assess aftermath of attacks
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, Benue State Governor, on Monday, Hyacinth Alia, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun have vowed to end the killings in the state.
They stated this when they visited the Yelwata community, in the Guma Local Government Area of the state.
Bandits, suspected to be armed herders, last Friday attacked the community, leading to the death of at least 59 residents and the displacement of over 3,000 others.
Speaking during the visit, Musa ordered field commanders from Benue and Nasarawa states to review their operational strategies and deal decisively with any act of terrorism in Benue.
The CDS, who toured the scenes of the attack in Yelewata, in the Guma Local Government Area of the state, said the persistent attacks were one too many that must be nipped in the bud to restore peace.
He urged the communities to engage troops with mutual trust going forward to deal decisively with criminals.
“We are tired of innocent souls being killed, and we’re here to ensure that we address such. I’ll be going to see my commanders and we have to change our strategy. 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,” he said.
On his part, the IGP commiserated with the members of the community and reassured them of the NPF’s commitment to further augmenting the available security emplacement in the state.
He directed the immediate deployment of additional tactical teams and assets, and assigned the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Operations, to take charge and oversee the operations aimed at restoring peace to Benue.
He said, “The people of this community are not alone. We are with them. The entire Nigerian communities are with them. A day will come when these bandits will come to operate as they used to, and they will never return.
A statement by Muyiwa Adejobi, the force spokesperson, said Egbetokun and Musa were accompanied by senior officers during the visit to assess the damages caused by the violent attacks in the area.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD., NPM., accompanied by senior officers including the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Operations, DIG Yakubu Kwazhi, mni; the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Logistics & Supply, DIG Adebola Ayinde Hamzat, fdc; the AIG Zone 4, AIG Zachariah Fera; and the CP SIS, CP Abayomi Shogunle, today June 16 2025, arrived Benue State, following the tragic incidents that had occurred in the State, resulting in the death of scores of residents,” the statement reads.
“Upon his arrival in Benue State, the IGP visited the State Government House, where he commiserated with the State Governor, His Excellency Hyacinth Iormem Alia, who expressed his ease and delight for the IGP’s visit and the deployment of personnel and tactical assets over time, and even at the moment. In his discussion with the Governor, the IGP condemned the attacks, describing the killings as senseless and an act of terrorism, further reassuring His Excellency that the Nigeria Police Force would carry out its best efforts to rein in the situation and bring the perpetrators of these heinous and barbaric acts to justice.
“The IGP also seized the opportunity to visit the Yelwata Community in Guma LGA of the State, where he inspected the damage done and engaged the community leaders alongside the Chief of Defense Staff, General Christopher Musa. The IGP commiserated with the members of the community and reassured them of the NPF’s commitment to further augmenting the available security emplacement in the state. To this end, the Inspector-General of Police has directed the immediate deployment of additional tactical teams and assets, assigning the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Department of Operations, DIG Kwazhi Dali Yakubu, mni, to take charge and oversee the operations aimed at restoring peace and serenity to Benue State.”
The IGP also assured officers and men of the Benue state command of adequate welfare and logistics support to challenge the ongoing attacks in the state.
On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu asked security agencies to arrest perpetrators of the incessant killings in Benue state.
The president has scheduled an emergency visit to Benue on Wednesday to address the ongoing violence in the state.
