By Emamuzo Iboma
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has expressed strong concerns over suspected insider involvement in the Yelwata massacre in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where more than 100 people were brutally murdered by armed attackers.
Describing the killings as “one too many,” General Musa visited the affected community on Monday, stating that the nature of the attack, especially the precision and manner of the burnings, indicated the likelihood of insider betrayal.
“In my estimation, it is one killing too many. We have observed that the way some of the burnings were carried out shows they were targeted. It indicates the presence of insiders compromising security efforts,” he said during the visit.
The Defence Chief met with Governor Hyacinth Alia and other stakeholders to assess the security situation and show solidarity with the grieving community. He assured residents that the military would revise its strategies and increase collaboration with traditional and community leaders to prevent a recurrence.
“We are going to change our strategies to look inwards. But we cannot do it alone. We need the communities to be part of this effort,” he stated, adding that trust-building with local actors had already begun.
“There may be issues of trust and we are going to address them. We want this to be the last attack of this nature. We will go all out to ensure peace is restored,” he said.
General Musa also revealed plans to visit neighbouring Nasarawa State to strengthen border security and prevent cross-border incursions by attackers.
“We always receive information that these attackers are coming from across the borders. Wherever they are coming from, we will go after them. We must not wait for them to strike first,” he warned.
He urged Nigerians, especially the youth, to stay hopeful, insisting that the violence must end. “This is our country. We can never give up our country for anything. And this madness must stop,” he said.
On Tuesday, the true scale of the tragedy came to light as residents of Yelwata presented a comprehensive list of 127 victims, contradicting the Benue State Government’s initial death toll of 59. Lawyer and politician Franc Utoo, a native of the community, told Daily Post that 33 of his relatives and over 50 of his political supporters were among the dead.
“We have been able to identify about 127 persons who lost their lives in the carnage from my immediate community,” Utoo said. “We believe a similar number were killed from neighbouring villages who had camped here for safety.”
He described the attack as one of the worst in the area’s history and called for transparency and swift justice.
The full list of victims includes entire families, with men, women, and children wiped out in the predawn attack. (See attached list.)
Chairman of Guma Local Government Area, Maurice Orwough, said the CDS’s visit brought hope to a traumatized population. “The visit of the Chief of Defence Staff gives our people in Guma LGA a sense of hope. It shows that the Nigerian government is genuinely concerned about the situation in Benue State,” he said.
“The quick response from the authorities gives our people some confidence that the government is paying attention. It is a sign of hope for us.”
