Benue Killings: Tinubu Visits Grieving Families, Holds Emergency Town Hall Meeting
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday visited Benue State following a wave of brutal attacks that left at least 200 people dead in Yelewata village, Guma Local Government Area. The President’s visit comes amid rising national outrage over the escalating violence in Nigeria’s Middle Belt.
Touching down at the Nigerian Air Force base in Makurdi shortly before 1 p.m., President Tinubu was received by Governor Hyacinth Alia and a delegation of federal and state officials. His first stop was the devastated Yelewata community, where he met grieving families, viewed the ruins of homes and farms destroyed by suspected herdsmen, and offered words of comfort to survivors.
“This is senseless bloodletting, and it must end,” Tinubu said while addressing victims and traditional leaders. “We will not tolerate lawlessness or allow innocent citizens to be slaughtered without consequences. The full weight of the law will be brought against those responsible.”
From Yelewata, the President proceeded to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, where dozens of injured victims are receiving treatment. He prayed with patients and commended medical personnel for their resilience in handling the humanitarian crisis.
The day culminated in a high-level town hall meeting held at the New Banquet Hall of the Government House in Makurdi. The emergency session brought together regional governors from the North-Central zone, traditional rulers, local government chairpersons, clergy, civil society leaders, and representatives of security agencies. Also in attendance were National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, and members of the National Assembly from Benue State.
Governor Hyacinth Alia declared Wednesday a public holiday to honor the President’s visit and allow full participation in the town hall, which focused on actionable steps to address insecurity and ethnic tensions in the state.
Speakers emphasized the urgent need to strengthen the security architecture, improve intelligence sharing, and establish dialogue platforms between farmers and herders—particularly during the peak of the rainy and grazing seasons.
The President assured the audience that “decisive security operations” were already underway, with orders given for the arrest and prosecution of all those involved in the killings. He pledged to enhance the federal response to violence in agrarian communities across the country.
Benue has witnessed over 500 deaths from communal violence so far in 2025, according to human rights monitors. The massacre in Yelewata is one of the deadliest single attacks in the state this year.
President Tinubu’s visit is widely seen as a significant gesture of solidarity and federal commitment. However, residents and civil society groups say they are watching closely to see if the promises of justice and protection will translate into real and lasting change.
