Benue K!llings: Community Members Sheltered The Attackers, Gave Them Food And Women

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that certain residents of Benue State assisted the gunmen responsible for the recent massacre in Yelwata community, where more than 150 people lost their lives.

Musa stated this on Wednesday, at a media briefing at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

He said the attackers were not only harboured by locals but were also fed, provided with women, and guided to the location of the Internally Displaced Persons camp.



“These criminals were harboured by people in the community. They were given food. They were even given women. They were guided on where the IDP camp was located. Yet, security forces received no information,” he said.

According to the CDS, misleading information initially diverted troops to other locations, while the attackers struck Yelwata using a swift hit-and-run tactic.

He also stressed the importance of community cooperation in security matters.

“This is why we consistently urge communities to be vigilant and report suspicious activities. Security is everyone’s responsibility,” he said.

He added that President Bola Tinubu has ordered the full deployment of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, and intelligence services to hunt down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

He also stressed the need to secure Nigeria’s porous borders, warning that arms and fighters from conflict zones like Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic were infiltrating the country.

Citing Pakistan’s double-layer border wall with Afghanistan as a model, Musa said, “We must learn from such strategies to protect our country.”

He also expressed deep sympathy for the victims of the attacks.



“These senseless killings weigh heavily on our hearts. We remain fully committed to ensuring justice and restoring peace to every part of Nigeria,” he said.