By Charles Pemu 
MAKURDI, BENUE STATE – President Bola Tinubu, accompanied by the leadership of the Senate, is scheduled to visit Benue State today, Wednesday, June 18, 2025, to commiserate with the people of Yelewata following the recent massacre of over 100 of their kinsmen by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The visit signals a high-level federal response to the escalating violence that has claimed hundreds of lives in the state.
Speaking yesterday, Senator Adeyemi Adaramodu, Senate Committee Chairman on Media and Public Affairs, revealed the Senate’s offer to join the presidential delegation, stating that they are “tired of the killings.” Beyond condolence visits, Senator Adaramodu announced that the Senate is perfecting strategies, including organizing a national security summit involving the military, civil society organizations, media, women, youth, and other critical stakeholders, emphasizing that “enough is enough.” He assured that adequate funds have been appropriated to support military and security agencies, stressing that “the time has come to act” and that tomorrow’s visit will “signal that the government is serious.”
The President’s visit follows an on-ground assessment by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, who visited Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area and the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH), Makurdi, on Tuesday. Akume conveyed President Tinubu’s deep concern over the tragic loss of lives and displacement of residents, assuring victims of the federal government’s commitment to providing immediate relief and addressing the root causes of the conflict through comprehensive security intervention. He vowed that perpetrators would be apprehended and prosecuted, urging affected communities to remain calm and cooperate with deployed security operatives.
The gruesome killings, which reportedly claimed over 200 lives in Benue State last weekend, have elicited widespread condemnation and calls for decisive action from across the political spectrum and civil society.
Calls for Broader Engagement and Accountability
Mr. Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), commended President Tinubu’s decision to visit Benue but urged him to extend a similar gesture to Niger State, where floods recently claimed over 200 lives in Mokwa, with more than 1,000 still missing. Obi emphasized that the President’s physical presence in “devastated and grieving communities” is crucial for reassurance and upliftment, stressing that “all Nigerian lives matter.”
In the House of Representatives, Deputy Speaker Hon. Benjamin Kalu condemned the massacres in Yelewata and Daudu communities as “barbaric, disturbing, and totally unacceptable.” Kalu urged security agencies to collaborate decisively to apprehend and prosecute perpetrators, pledging the National Assembly’s full support through legislative measures, including an ongoing constitution review focused on security and policing reforms.
The National Association of Seadogs (Pyrates Confraternity) expressed outrage at the “continued orgy of violence and bloodletting,” condemning what it described as the “lukewarm response of the authorities.” While acknowledging recent government directives, the association warned against merely reactive gestures.
Similarly, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) expressed deep disturbance over the escalation of violent attacks in Benue and Plateau states, which have led to significant loss of life, displacement, and destruction. NHRC Executive Secretary, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, warned that these incidents are degenerating into ethnic, religious, and communal tensions, which could exacerbate human rights violations. He highlighted the severe impact on farming activities in Benue, the “food basket of the nation,” warning of looming food insecurity if unchecked.
American Veterans of Igbo Descent (AVID), a US-based group, called on the federal government to halt what it termed “genocide being perpetrated in slow motion,” accusing the government of treating criminals “with kid gloves.” The group linked the impunity of armed herders to the continued detention of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, which they argue has “weakened resistance of indigenous peoples.” AVID appealed to the international community and human rights organizations to take notice of the atrocities.
Environment journalist and Chairman of the Northern Christian Youth Professionals, Isaac Abrak, urged President Tinubu to be “audacious” in the battle against insecurity, emphasizing the need for bold, new approaches to stop the carnage that relentlessly targets “poor, innocent rural dwellers.”
In a proactive measure, Edo State Governor Senator Monday Okpebholo recently inaugurated two committees—the Livestock Control Committee and the Boundary Committee—to address rising incidents of herdsmen attacks and land disputes within the state and with bordering neighbors, aiming to foster peace and stability.
The collective grief and outcry from various segments of society underscore the immense pressure on the federal government to implement decisive and lasting solutions to the persistent insecurity plaguing these communities.