The military and police have initiated a coordinated cross-border manhunt for the gunmen who massacred around 200 villagers in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, Benue State, on the night of Friday, June 13, 2025.
On Monday, Chief of Defence Staff General Christopher Musa and Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun arrived in Makurdi and Yelewata to coordinate the operation against the suspected killers.
Musa, after surveying the devastation, swore to take the fight to the terrorists by adapting the military’s approach to the conditions on the ground.
However, considering the nature of the attack, he voiced concern that the attackers are working with assistance from within the community.
Musa briefed journalists in Yelewata, saying, “In every society, including the military, there are always people who compromise. I promise to meet with the commanders and find ways to change our strategies.
“In my estimation, it is one killing too many. We’re here to ensure that we address such. From here, I’m going to see my commanders, and we are going to change our strategies to look inwards and see how we can address this. We cannot do it alone without the community.”
The defence chief called for community support, arguing that the Armed Forces’ efforts will not yield much without it.
“There may be trust issues that we are going to address. For us, we want this to be the last that would happen.
“We need everybody to be part of it. We understand that even before now we used to have, even within us, people that used to compromise and give out information.
“If you see the way some of the burnings were made, you know that they were targeted. “It shows they have insiders,” he stated.
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The CDS also noted the porous border between Nasarawa and Benue states, promising to meet with the Nasarawa State Governor to discuss how to address the issue.
He explained, “I want to assure Nigerians, the whole Benue State, and all over the country that we are determined, based on the mandate of Mr President, that we will restore peace and tranquillity within the country.
“We always have information that these people are coming from across borders; wherever they come from, we will go after them.
“We must take the battle to them; we must not wait for them to attack, and that is what I think. It is very critical that tomorrow (Tuesday) we proceed to Nasarawa State because the borders are actually very critical to the success of what we are doing.”
While calling on the youths to support the military, Musa sought support from every Nigerian too.
“We need Nigerians to support us. We must work together as a team. For the youths, please don’t give up. This is our country; we can never give up our country for anything. And this madness must stop,” the CDS said.
Gunmen assaulted Yelewata village in Benue State’s Guma Local Government Area late Friday, June 13, unleashing one of the state’s worst assaults in years.
According to Amnesty International and local officials, at least 100 people were dead, others are missing, and hundreds are suffering from gunshot and burn wounds when assailants set fire to their homes early Saturday morning.
Local police confirmed the raid but did not provide a final casualty tally, while emergency workers said many of the fatalities were internally displaced persons who had sought safety in the area following previous attacks.
The Benue State administration has initiated a manhunt, but villagers are concerned about reprisals as the rainy season begins, which is the peak period for contested grazing and planting.
