President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday paid a solemn visit to Benue State to commiserate with victims and families affected by the grueso...
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Wednesday paid a solemn visit to Benue State to commiserate with victims and families affected by the gruesome attack that took place last Friday in Yelewata, a community in Guma Local Government Area. The attack, reportedly carried out by armed assailants suspected to be herders, claimed the lives of over 59 residents and left several others with serious injuries.
The President touched down at the Tactical Air Command of the Nigerian Air Force Base in Makurdi at exactly 12:58 pm and proceeded directly to the hospital to visit the surviving victims. There, he offered words of comfort to the injured and pledged that justice would be pursued for the deceased and their families.
After the hospital visit, President Tinubu moved to the new Banquet Hall at the Benue State Government House, where he is scheduled to meet with critical stakeholders and community leaders. The closed-door meeting is part of a broader federal effort to address the root causes of violence in Benue and other parts of the country suffering from recurrent communal and security-related crises.
The President is expected to engage in dialogue with victims' families, displaced persons, and traditional rulers from the most affected rural communities in Guma and other neighboring areas. Sources within the presidency indicate that the meeting will also focus on long-term security strategies, conflict resolution mechanisms, and developmental interventions for communities ravaged by violence.
Present at the stakeholder session are key national and regional figures, including Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, governors from other North-Central states, the National Security Adviser (NSA) Nuhu Ribadu, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.
Also in attendance are service chiefs, lawmakers representing Benue at the National Assembly, top members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and influential community leaders from the Tiv and Idoma ethnic groups, among others.
The Benue State Government declared Wednesday a public holiday to mark the President’s visit and allow residents to participate in the mourning and reconciliation process. Security in and around the capital, Makurdi, was visibly heightened ahead of the high-profile visit.
Addressing the stakeholders, Tinubu is expected to reaffirm the federal government’s commitment to securing the lives and property of all Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or location. His message will likely call for unity, tolerance, and improved cooperation between communities and security agencies.
President Tinubu’s visit comes on the heels of national and international condemnation of the repeated attacks in Benue and other parts of the Middle Belt, which have long been hotspots for farmer-herder conflicts, banditry, and ethno-religious tensions.
The President’s intervention is widely seen as a critical step in showing federal solidarity with a region that has frequently lamented marginalization and insufficient protection from violent incursions. It remains to be seen whether the renewed engagement will translate into lasting peace and development in the troubled areas of Benue State.
See more photos from the hospital visit below:
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