Insecurity in Nigeria: Killings Continue in Benue and Plateau Despite Tinubu’s Marching Orders

By PulseDaily News

Residents of Benue and Plateau States say they are living in fear as killings by armed herdsmen continue, despite President Bola Tinubu’s assurance in June that security forces would restore peace in the region.

Fresh Killings in Benue After Tinubu’s Visit

On June 13, 2025, more than 200 farmers were massacred in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State by suspected herdsmen. Days later, President Tinubu visited the state and declared: “Enough is enough. The killers will be arrested, peace will return.”

But since the President’s visit, attacks have continued.

Armed herdsmen kidnapped 12 passengers on the Ugbokolo-Otukpo Road.

Four policemen were ambushed and killed in Udei.

A retired headmaster was murdered on his farm and his motorcycle burnt.

Joint security patrols were attacked, leaving both policemen and Civil Defence officers dead.

On August 3, a mother and her son were killed in Tse-Nyibiam, the same farm where their husband and father had earlier been murdered.

By August 11, angry women in Yelewata dumped corpses on the highway, protesting government inaction.

According to community leaders, over 32 people have been killed in Benue within 59 days of Tinubu’s visit.

Plateau Communities Cry Out

In Plateau State, residents of Bokkos, Riyom, Kanam, Wase, and Bassa LGAs are also under siege. Despite repeated government promises, killings and destruction of villages continue.

Governor Caleb Mutfwang has described the attacks as “systematic genocide”, warning that labeling them as “communal clashes” undermines the reality on ground.

Security operatives are often accused of responding late to distress calls, arriving only after attackers have left.

“We feel forgotten. We are tired of condolences. For how long will we bury our own while government repeats promises that change nothing?” said Luka Auta, a farmer in Bassa who lost his wife and cousins.

Community members insist that only concrete action can restore peace. They demand:

Arrest and prosecution of attackers instead of tagging them “unknown gunmen.”

Permanent security posts in vulnerable rural communities.

Quicker response to distress calls by security agencies.

An end to open grazing and land grabbing.

Support for rebuilding schools, farms, and homes destroyed in attacks.

Nigeria’s insecurity crisis, especially in the North-Central region, has displaced thousands of families. Farmers are abandoning their farmlands, worsening fears of food shortages.

While President Tinubu’s marching orders were welcomed, citizens say words alone cannot stop the killings. What they need now is decisive government action.

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