…As Tinubu postpones Kaduna trip, to visit Benue on Wednesday
…PDP, ACF decry killings, demand urgent overhaul of security strategy
By Our Correspondents
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has confirmed that no fewer than 6,000 people have been displaced, and dozens hospitalised, following the gruesome mass killings in Yelwata and other communities in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, perpetrated by suspected armed herdsmen on Friday, June 13, 2025.
In an official update released Monday evening, NEMA’s North Central Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Eugene Nyelong, described the situation as “a full-blown humanitarian crisis,” warning that “displacement figures are rising by the hour, and many of the injured are in critical condition.”
He said, “The violence has forced over 6,000 residents to flee their ancestral homes. Some of them are camped in primary schools and makeshift shelters across Daudu and Makurdi, while others remain unaccounted for in the bush.”
In response to the killings, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has cancelled his planned visit to Kaduna and will instead travel to Benue State on Wednesday, June 18, to assess the scale of destruction and meet with affected communities.
This was disclosed in a statement signed by Mr. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who said the change in schedule was necessitated by “the urgency of the situation in Benue.”
He said, “The President’s visit aims to assess firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction. He will meet with traditional rulers, religious leaders, political stakeholders, security chiefs, and youth groups.”
Onanuga further revealed that President Tinubu has already dispatched top federal officials, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector-General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees, ahead of his visit.
Reacting to the attacks, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) launched a scathing rebuke of President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), accusing them of gross dereliction of duty and complicity by inaction.
In a statement signed by Hon. Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary, the PDP said, “The killing of over 200 Nigerians in Benue is a national disgrace and a direct consequence of the failure of President Tinubu to live up to his constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.”
Ologunagba continued, “Instead of decisive action, President Tinubu has remained largely aloof. He passes the buck while his aides issue empty statements. This is not leadership. This is cowardice.”
The opposition party further alleged that the APC-led administration is “prioritising political survival and its 2027 re-election agenda over national security,” adding that “the blood of these innocent Nigerians is on the hands of the Commander-in-Chief.”
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) also issued a damning statement, condemning the killings and demanding a total overhaul of Nigeria’s security strategy.
In a statement signed by Professor T.A. Muhammad-Baba, National Publicity Secretary, the Forum said the Yelwata massacre, which happened “barely days after the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) relocated to Benue State,” exposed the deep-rooted failure of current security operations.
He added, “That the Yelwata tragedy could occur under the COAS’s direct watch in Benue reveals the strategic and operational breakdown in our national security apparatus. This tragedy should never have happened under an active military presence.”
He further stated that the ACF was “deeply disturbed by the recurrence of targeted violence in the North-Central region,” insisting that “the government must urgently shift from reactive deployments to intelligence-based, community-embedded solutions.”
“Proactive surveillance, grassroots intelligence, and civilian-military cooperation are no longer optional, they are necessary for survival,” the ACF declared.
NEMA’s spokesman confirmed that emergency responders had begun rapid needs assessments across multiple camps but admitted that the scale of the crisis has overwhelmed existing resources.
“We are preparing relief supplies, but we must admit that our resources are overstretched due to multiple crisis zones across the country,” said Nyelong.
While official casualty figures are yet to be finalised, community leaders and local humanitarian groups say the death toll may be well over 200, with dozens still missing.
