President Tinubu Urges Calm After Benue Massacre as Over 100 Killed in Yelwata

Nigeria President Bola Tinubu visit victims of di Benue killings for Hospital (Image Source: PRESIDENCY)

Reporter

President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his directive to security chiefs to swiftly end the ongoing killings in Benue State, following the latest massacre of more than 100 people in Yelwata, located in the Guma Local Government Area. The president’s directive was disclosed in a statement signed by Presidential Spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, and came just hours after Pope Leo XIV prayed for the victims of what he described as a “terrible massacre” in Benue.

Mr. Onanuga confirmed that intelligence chiefs and senior officials from the police and military have arrived in the state to take charge of security operations and help restore order, following the president’s orders. The victims were killed by armed men suspected to be Fulani militias, triggering unrest in the region. In response, local youths blocked the Lafia-Makurdi highway, protesting what they described as the government’s failure to protect lives.

President Tinubu also charged Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia to convene reconciliation meetings and dialogue sessions among the warring factions in order to halt the bloodshed and foster peaceful coexistence between farmers, herders, and local communities. The violence in Benue and other North-central states is largely driven by resource-based conflict, particularly over land and water, between farmers and herders. This ongoing crisis has claimed thousands of lives over the years.

Describing the violence as “inhuman and anti-progress,” Mr. Tinubu called on political and community leaders to avoid making inflammatory statements that could further aggravate the crisis. He also instructed that individuals attempting to provoke reprisals be identified and restrained. In a poignant moment of international solidarity, Pope Leo XIV prayed for the victims during his Sunday Angelus prayer, highlighting that many of those killed had been sheltered by a local Catholic mission.

Speaking via Vatican News, the Pope appealed for security, justice, and peace in Nigeria, expressing particular concern for the “rural Christian communities of Benue State” who he said have been relentless victims of violence. Meanwhile, opposition leaders and civil society critics have accused the Tinubu administration of a delayed response, noting that the presidential statement was issued more than 24 hours after the attack, and the president’s visit to the state came five days later.

The tragedy in Benue has once again reignited calls for a comprehensive national strategy to address rural insecurity, intercommunal conflict, and long-standing grievances tied to resource competition.