The relocation of Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, to Benue State—initially hailed as a bold move to curb persistent bloodshed—has proven largely ineffective. The weekend massacre of more than 200 civilians in the communities of Yelwata and Daudu in Guma Local Government Area has tragically reinforced the inadequacy of this strategy.
These fresh attacks, reportedly carried out by armed Fulani herdsmen, add to an already disturbing death toll and have renewed calls for urgent and pragmatic security reforms. Just days before this latest atrocity, 43 residents—including a Catholic priest and a mobile police officer—were murdered in coordinated assaults across Gwer and Apa LGAs.
In response to this growing violence, Army Chief Lagbaja had announced his temporary move from Abuja to Makurdi, the Benue State capital. However, despite his relocation and increased military activity, including air surveillance missions reported on Sunday, attacks have continued unabated, exposing serious flaws in Nigeria’s internal security framework.
Police Take Charge as Military Efforts Falter
With the Nigerian Army’s presence proving largely symbolic, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has assumed responsibility for directing operations in the violence-stricken state. However, even this centralisation of command has yet to produce tangible results on the ground.
According to data compiled by a national newspaper as of June 4, more than 270 people were killed in Benue between April and May—excluding the weekend’s slaughter. This grim statistic surpasses civilian death tolls from some active international conflicts, such as the Israel-Iran hostilities.
Years of Bloodshed, No End in Sight
Benue’s descent into chaos is not new. The state has suffered recurring attacks for years, making it one of Nigeria’s most volatile regions. On January 1, 2018, a particularly gruesome attack saw 72 residents butchered across three local governments. In similar fashion, the latest killing spree lasted for two days, reportedly without any meaningful security intervention.
This long history of unchecked violence has fueled public outrage over the failure of successive Nigerian presidents to safeguard lives. From Olusegun Obasanjo to Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari, government promises to address the violence have yielded little in the way of results.
President Bola Tinubu, who now bears the responsibility of Commander-in-Chief, appears to be following the same pattern. His suggestion that Governor Hyacinth Alia should initiate peace talks between the warring communities has been widely criticized as a weak, politically-motivated gesture that ignores the nature of the violence: calculated, brutal, and aimed at territorial conquest.
The Politics of Herding and Security Lapses
A major criticism of federal authorities is the failure to confront the herder-related violence head-on. For years, the Nigerian government has tolerated open grazing, a practice that has been phased out in many parts of the world due to its inherent conflicts with sedentary farming communities.
Despite numerous deadly clashes, federal authorities have refused to implement or enforce nationwide ranching policies. In Benue, where an anti-open grazing law exists, enforcement remains lax due to limited resources and political pressure.
This permissive stance has emboldened violent groups and undermined the legitimacy of state laws meant to protect local populations. It has also allowed Nigeria’s security landscape to be overtaken by multiple armed factions—including Boko Haram, ISWAP, bandits in the North-West, separatist agitators in the South-East, and kidnapping gangs across the South-West.
Global Indices Reflect Nigeria’s Dangerous Descent
According to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, Nigeria now ranks as the sixth most terror-impacted country globally, a worsening position from eighth place in 2024. This reflects the growing influence of non-state actors and the inability of the government to reestablish control over vulnerable regions.
What is even more heartbreaking is the continued neglect of victims. Families receive no state support, and in many cases, the dead are blamed for not fleeing their homes—comments that further erode public trust. Under Buhari’s administration, one official even suggested that villagers must choose between “their lives and their land,” a remark seen as both inflammatory and irresponsible.
A Call for Immediate and Strategic Action
President Tinubu must now rise to the occasion. The perpetrators of these atrocities have demonstrated that appeals to peace will not stop them. What is required is the full deployment of Nigeria’s military and intelligence apparatus to root them out—especially in their known hideouts within forests and remote settlements.
Governor Alia, on his part, must move swiftly to establish a localized security force to supplement the overstretched federal units. Effective enforcement of the state’s anti-open grazing law is also critical in deterring future attacks.
Security analysts recommend adopting guerrilla-counter tactics, strengthening local intelligence networks, and using precision air strikes when necessary to dislodge armed groups from their bases. Such measures must be accompanied by community rehabilitation programs and transparent investigations into security lapses.
Nigerians Deserve Better
Ultimately, the Nigerian Constitution enshrines the right to life and security. When a government repeatedly fails to uphold these rights, its legitimacy is undermined. The people of Benue—and Nigerians in general—deserve more than platitudes and cosmetic deployments. They deserve concrete protection, swift justice, and lasting peace.
President Tinubu still has a chance to chart a different course. But the time for action is now.
