Benue State’s security quagmire reached a fever pitch yesterday when Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oloyede, Chief of Army Staff (COAS), landed in Makurdi for ostensibly urgent discussions with Governor Hyacinth Alia.
His clandestine meeting—lasting barely 70 minutes—prompted more questions than answers.
The governor disclosed that the COAS conveyed “a message of hope” and expressed condolences for the 33 lives lost this morning alone in Apa and Gwer West local governments.
Yet, the absence of any media briefing leaves ordinary Benue residents sceptical about federal resolve.
For years, Benue—Nigeria’s “Food Basket”—has been ground zero for the herder–farmer conflagration.
Armed Fulani herders have laid siege to at least 50 communities across five LGAs, with over 135 attacks documented between January 2023 and February 2024, leading to 2,600 deaths and more than 500,000 internally displaced people (IDPs).
The International Organisation for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix reports that Guma LGA alone shelters over 60,000 IDPs, while Gwer West accounts for 12,717 registered displaced souls.
Critics argue that these figures underrepresent ground reality, with local sources citing up to 42 deaths in last week’s raids on Tyolaha and Tse-Ubiam villages.
Governor Alia assured traditional rulers—including Tor-Tiv Prof. James Ayatse and Och’idoma Dr John Eliagwu—that Abuja will deploy reinforcements.
Yet past pledges have rung hollow. In April alone, eyewitnesses reported armed herders razing homes, slaughtering women and children, and displacing thousands in Logo, Agatu, Kwande, Gwer East, Gwer West, Makurdi, and Katsina-Ala LGAs.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International warns that unmet security needs could spur further radicalisation and communal vigilantism.
With over 500,000 IDPs marooned in camps—and farming yields plummeting amid rampant land grabs—Benue’s stakeholders demand more than “messages of hope.”
They insist on a federal state of emergency, robust border fencing, and an enforceable anti-open-grazing law.
As the COAS departs without public declaration, many wonder: is this visit genuine intervention or mere political theatre ahead of looming elections?
Only time will tell if Benue’s bloodbath ends in concrete action—or yet another empty promise.
Additional reporting from Suleiman Adamu
