Nigeria’s Chief of Defense Staff Gen. Christopher Musa has accused residents of Yelwata community in Benue State of sheltering the perpetrators of last Saturday’s massacre, which left more than 100 people dead.
Speaking at the Defense Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, Musa said military intelligence had warned of potential attacks across the Benue state and troops were deployed accordingly.
“These criminals were harbored by people in the community. They were given food. ... They were guided on where the IDP camp was located. Yet, security forces received no information,” he said.
“This is why we consistently urge communities to be vigilant and report suspicious activities. Security is everyone’s responsibility.”
Pre-dawn attack
The attack in Yelwata is among the deadliest in recent months in Nigeria’s long-running conflict between farming communities and herders, which has intensified due to disputes over land, water access, migration routes, and livestock damage.
In parts of Nigeria, communities have reportedly resorted to paying taxes to armed groups in efforts to avoid violence.
Locals in Yelwata, however, say security operatives in the country are not doing enough to protect lives and property.
“Our military is not doing enough to protect us. Often, they arrive late after distress calls. It is not good for our safety,” Mutiu Rahmon, a survivor of Saturday's attack, told an Anadolu News Agency.
‘Insufficient security’
Another survivor who identified herself as Johson Adeu, said: “We do not have enough security officials in the local areas where some of these attacks often occur.”
President Bola Tinubu visited the affected area on Wednesday and directed security chiefs to arrest the perpetrators of the massacre.
“We need to get our ears to the ground. Let’s get those criminals. Let’s get them out,” Tinubu told Musa during a town hall meeting with political leaders in the state.
On Thursday, Deputy Director of Defense Media Operations, Brig, Gen. Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, told journalists in Abuja that 6,260 terrorists and criminals had been neutralized in joint operations nationwide over the past two years.
“It is time for Nigerians to see the military as an integral part of our national family, not an occupying force, but a force for good, for protection, and for progress,” he said.
