President Bola Tinubu has directed security agencies to track down those responsible for the recent massacre in Benue State that left over 100 dead, while urging Governor Hyacinth Alia to lead urgent reconciliation efforts between warring communities.
The presidential directive follows reports of armed assailants ravaging Yelwata community in Guma LGA, sparking violent protests that paralyzed the Lafia-Makurdi highway for days. Police resorted to teargas Sunday to disperse demonstrators who brought their grievances to Makurdi streets.
In a late-night statement on his official X account, Tinubu expressed outrage over the escalating violence: “I have been briefed on the senseless bloodletting in Benue State. Enough is enough! I have directed the security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict, and prosecute them.”
The President issued a stern warning to community leaders against inflammatory rhetoric, emphasizing that “political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.”
Tinubu specifically tasked Governor Alia with spearheading peacebuilding measures: “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.”
The statement concluded with an appeal for communal harmony: “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.”
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