NIGERIA: President Tinubu Visits Victims of Yelewata Massacre in Benue, Holds Security Meeting

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday paid a visit to victims of the recent mass killings in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where at least 59 persons were confirmed dead and many others severely injured.

Arriving at the Nigerian Air Force Tactical Air Command base in Makurdi at approximately 12:58 p.m., the President proceeded directly to a medical facility where survivors of the attack are receiving treatment.

Following his hospital visit, President Tinubu convened a high-level closed-door meeting at the Banquet Hall of the Benue State Government House with stakeholders from across the state. The meeting is part of the administration’s broader strategy to address the continuing security crisis in Benue and other parts of North-Central Nigeria.

Present at the meeting were Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, governors from the North-Central region, National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation Senator George Akume, and other top-ranking security and government officials.

According to sources close to the meeting, discussions focused on efforts to contain the violence, enhance community-based intelligence gathering, and ensure stricter enforcement of existing laws, particularly the state’s Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017.

The President is also expected to meet with families of the deceased, displaced persons, community leaders, and representatives of youth groups affected by the ongoing violence. This outreach is aimed at fostering reconciliation, gathering firsthand information, and rebuilding trust between communities and the federal government.

Wednesday’s visit comes amid heightened tensions in Benue following a spate of deadly attacks by unidentified armed assailants, widely believed to be linked to herdsmen militias. In recent weeks, multiple communities in Guma and other LGAs have witnessed large-scale violence, displacement, and destruction of property.

Earlier in the week, the Benue State House of Assembly declared three days of mourning in honour of those killed in the Yelewata attack. Lawmakers, dressed in black, passed several resolutions calling for stronger federal intervention, accountability, and increased security presence across the state’s rural regions.

The President’s visit also follows calls by opposition parties and civil society groups for the declaration of a state of emergency in Benue State. While the Presidency has yet to make such a declaration, today’s engagement signals a renewed effort to respond to the security and humanitarian crisis in the state.

The federal government is expected to issue a formal communique on the outcomes of the stakeholder meeting later today.