The President’s first stop was the devastated village of Yelewata, the epicentre of the latest bloodshed, where he met with families of victims, community elders, and some of the hundreds injured or displaced by the attack. He also visited survivors undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital, pledging increased federal support for security and humanitarian intervention.
This visit comes amid renewed communal violence in Benue that has claimed more than 500 lives in 2025 alone, making the state one of the hardest-hit zones in Nigeria’s spiraling rural conflict.
After the field visits, Tinubu proceeded to the Benue State Government House Banquet Hall in Makurdi, where he presided over a high-level town hall meeting. Present at the gathering were governors from the North Central zone, top security chiefs, traditional rulers, and political leaders across party lines.
Key attendees included:
National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu
APC National Chairman, Dr. Umar Ganduje
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume (former Benue Governor)
Former Governor Samuel Ortom
Members of the APC National Working Committee
Federal lawmakers representing affected communities
Executive Chairmen of all 23 LGAs in Benue
Traditional rulers and representatives from various ethnic groups
Benue State Executive
Council membersCivil society and religious leaders
The President, in his address, expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and vowed that the perpetrators of the Yelewata massacre and other attacks across the state “will be brought to justice without delay.” He added that a comprehensive security strategy tailored to Benue’s unique herder-farmer conflict will be rolled out in collaboration with state and local authorities.
Eyewitnesses and human rights monitors, including Amnesty International, report that the Yelewata attack involved heavily armed gunmen who stormed the village late Friday night, torching homes and executing residents as they fled. Many of the victims were internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had relocated to the village following earlier violence in surrounding areas.
Emergency workers say hundreds have since fled the area, raising fears of more displacement and further reprisals as the rainy season — a flashpoint for land and grazing disputes — begins.
While local police confirmed the attack, they have yet to release a definitive casualty count. State authorities say a manhunt for the assailants is underway, though locals remain skeptical, citing a lack of arrests in past incidents.
Wednesday’s visit marks Tinubu’s first trip to Benue since the escalation of attacks in early 2025, and it signals a potentially tougher stance from the presidency on Nigeria’s worsening rural insecurity.
