Benue Crisis: Tinubu Directs Security Chiefs, Urges Reconciliation
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a renewed directive to Nigeria’s security chiefs, demanding full enforcement of earlier orders aimed at ending the ongoing violence and insecurity plaguing Benue State. This follows a fresh wave of reprisal attacks that left many dead and renewed fears across the region.
Responding to the bloodshed, President Tinubu has dispatched intelligence operatives, military units, and police officials to Benue to take immediate charge of security operations and restore order.
In addition to the security measures, the president has tasked Governor Hyacinth Alia with convening reconciliation and peace dialogue sessions among the aggrieved parties, particularly farmers, herders, and local communities torn apart by longstanding hostilities.
Describing the killings as “inhuman and anti-progress,” Tinubu warned political and community leaders in the state to desist from making inflammatory statements that risk inciting further violence. He also urged them to take responsibility for curbing provocations and fostering peace.
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“The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing,” Tinubu said in a statement. “We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated. Enough is now enough.
“I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.”
He further emphasized the need for inclusive leadership and reconciliation, stating, “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.”
The president’s latest intervention comes amid rising national concern over the deteriorating security situation in Benue, where clashes between herders and farmers, often aggravated by ethnic and communal tensions, have persisted for years.
The Federal Government’s move signals a tougher stance on the crisis and a push for political and community-level solutions to finally break the cycle of violence.
