President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a fresh directive to Nigeria’s security chiefs, urging them to implement without delay earlier presidential instructions aimed at bringing lasting peace and stability to Benue State, which has been rocked by renewed violence and reprisal killings.
In response to the latest spate of attacks in the state that left several people dead, President Tinubu ordered intelligence agencies, the police, and the military to immediately mobilize and take control of security operations on the ground.
“The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing. We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated. Enough is now enough,” President Tinubu said in a strongly worded statement released by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The President also called on Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to rise to the occasion by initiating a robust reconciliation process involving all aggrieved groups in the state.
“This is the time for Governor Alia to act as a statesman and immediately lead the process of dialogue and reconciliation that will bring peace to Benue.
“Our people must live in peace, and it is possible when leaders across the divides work together in harmony and differences are identified and addressed with fairness, openness, and justice,” Tinubu stated.
The President described the persistent violence between farming communities, herders, and other local groups as “inhuman and anti-progress,” warning that no meaningful development can occur in an environment beset by bloodshed.
He also decried what he described as inflammatory rhetoric and inciting remarks from political and community leaders in the affected areas, noting that such utterances have only worsened tensions and deepened divisions.
“Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings. They should also rein in those who go out to cause provocations and ignite reprisal attacks,” he said.
Tinubu reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to restoring peace in the region, stressing that justice would be pursued on all fronts and perpetrators held accountable.
