President Bola Tinubu visited Benue State on Tuesday, June 18, 2025, in response to the brutal killings that recently claimed over 100 lives in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area. This visit, his first to Benue since assuming office, was aimed at offering federal solidarity, assessing the humanitarian situation on the ground, and engaging directly with community leaders and victims of the violence. The president postponed a scheduled trip to Kaduna to prioritize the Benue crisis, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The violence in Yelewata over the weekend was one of the deadliest in recent times, with eyewitnesses and survivors reporting up to 150 fatalities. Entire communities were razed, food stores destroyed, and thousands displaced. The massacre, widely believed to be a continuation of the farmer-herder conflict in the North Central region, has sparked renewed fears over land security, ethnic tensions, and the government’s ability to contain such attacks. President Tinubu condemned the killings as “senseless bloodletting” and vowed that those responsible would be tracked and prosecuted.
During the visit, Tinubu toured affected communities and hospitals treating the injured. He held a closed-door town hall meeting with stakeholders at the Government House Banquet Hall in Makurdi, attended by traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth groups, state governors from the North Central zone, and top federal security officials including the National Security Adviser, Inspector-General of Police, and military commanders. The session focused on urgent security reinforcements, rebuilding efforts, and longer-term strategies for peace.
The president’s visit has been received as a strong federal gesture, though some critics argue it comes late amid rising insecurity in the region. For years, Benue has been a flashpoint of deadly clashes between farming communities and suspected herdsmen, with minimal arrests or convictions. Civil society groups and local leaders have repeatedly called for proactive security measures, compensation for victims, and the establishment of grazing regulations to address root causes.
As the nation grapples with increasing violence in its agrarian belts, Tinubu’s Benue trip signals a turning point in federal engagement. While his promises offer hope to a traumatized population, much will depend on sustained actions that follow. For communities in Benue and across Nigeria’s Middle Belt, the demand is clear: security, justice, and a future free of fear.
