President Bola Tinubu has directed Nigeria’s security agencies to urgently track down and prosecute those responsible for a brutal attack in Benue State that claimed more than 150 lives over the weekend. The order comes amid intensifying public outrage and opposition criticism over what many perceive as a sluggish and inadequate federal response to the country’s deepening security crisis.
The president visited Benue State on Wednesday in a bid to offer support and restore confidence in the federal government’s commitment to security. Speaking in Makurdi, the state capital, Tinubu assured local leaders and residents that justice would be served.
“We will restore peace, rebuild, and bring the perpetrators to justice. You are not alone,” Tinubu declared in a post on X, formerly Twitter, addressing the devastated communities.
The massacre occurred in the Yelewata community, where armed attackers stormed the area between Friday night and early Saturday morning. Survivors and representatives from the local farmers’ union said the assailants opened fire on sleeping residents and torched their homes. Many of the victims were reportedly taking shelter in a nearby market, having previously fled violence in other parts of the state.
Benue State officials have attributed the attack to armed herdsmen, a group frequently implicated in the ongoing clashes between pastoralists and farming communities in Nigeria’s central and northern regions. These violent disputes, often driven by land competition and ethnic tensions, have persisted for decades, but recent years have seen a troubling escalation in their intensity and scope.
Critics have condemned the federal government’s response to the incident. Opposition leaders and civil society organizations questioned why Tinubu’s office delayed its first statement by more than a day after the attack. Moreover, Tinubu’s visit to the affected state came five days after the killings, raising further concerns about the administration’s urgency and sensitivity in addressing such crises.
While in Benue, Tinubu visited a hospital in Makurdi to meet with survivors and local authorities. However, he did not travel to Yelewata, the village directly affected by the massacre. The omission has drawn additional scrutiny from residents and observers who felt the president should have seen the scene firsthand.
In a meeting with top police officials, Tinubu appeared visibly frustrated with the lack of arrests. “How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” he said, pressing law enforcement to act swiftly and decisively.
Security analysts have long warned that Nigeria’s inability to consistently hold perpetrators accountable has emboldened violent actors across the country. Many argue that political will is lacking when it comes to enforcing justice and supporting victims.
“In the end, the result is the same: no justice, no accountability, and no closure for the victims and their communities,” said Senator Iroegbu, a security analyst based in Abuja. “Until this changes, impunity will remain the norm, and such tragedies will continue to occur.”
The Benue killings have become yet another grim chapter in Nigeria’s protracted struggle with insecurity. As pressure mounts on President Tinubu to reverse the trend, the government’s next steps will be closely watched—both by citizens demanding justice and by communities fearing they could be next.