The Nigerian military has alleged that members of the Yelwata community in Benue State may have sheltered those responsible for a deadly attack that killed more than 100 people last Saturday.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Chief of Army Staff General Christopher Musa said military intelligence had warned of possible attacks in Benue State and soldiers were deployed to the area. Despite these efforts, Musa alleged that some locals were helping the attackers.
“These criminals were sheltered by local residents. They were given food and drinks and directed to where the IDP camp is,” Musa said. “Security forces did not receive any reports despite the attackers being known. We call on communities to be vigilant and report suspicious activities. Security is a shared responsibility.”
The early morning massacre is one of the worst in Nigeria’s long-running conflicts between farming communities and herders. The conflict, fuelled by disputes over land, water and grazing routes, has escalated in recent years. In some areas, residents reportedly resorted to paying armed groups to avoid attacks.
Survivors of the Yelwata attack criticised the security response. “The army always comes too late, after the damage has been done,” Mutiu Rahmon told. Another resident, Johnson Adeu, added: “We do not have enough security presence in these vulnerable areas.”
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu visited Benue on Wednesday and called on security forces to act quickly. “Let’s find these criminals and bring them to justice,” he said in a meeting with state leaders.
In a related briefing, the Deputy Director of Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, said more than 6,200 militants and criminals had been eliminated in joint operations in the past two years. He called for public cooperation with the army, saying: “We are here to protect, not to occupy.”