IGP leads tactical units to Benue amid rising violence

Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun arrived in Benue State on Monday to oversee efforts to contain escalating violence and restore security, following a deadly wave of attacks by suspected herders that have left more than 160 people dead across multiple communities.

Dressed in full uniform, Egbetokun touched down in Makurdi, immediately deploying tactical police units into troubled areas. A statement from the Nigeria Police Force confirmed the intensification of security operations.

“IGP arrives Benue, orders for additional deployment of tactical teams,” the police message read.

In the past few weeks, Benue State has experienced a surge in bloodshed:

• Over 160 residents killed in coordinated night raids across various communities.
• Friday’s attack resulted in scores of casualties and forced mass displacement.
• Public alarm escalated after dozens were burned alive in Guma Local Government Area, prompting neighborhood protests

Governor Hyacinth Alia, speaking earlier, warned that communities once under siege had shrunk from 17 LGAs to just three, a shift he credited to federal security support.

Following presidential instruction, security agencies are implementing intensified response strategies to suppress further violence and hold perpetrators accountable.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said: “The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing. We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated… I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators … prosecute them.”