Lieutenant General (Lt-Gen) Olufemi Oluyede, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) has travelled to Makurdi, Benue State so as to address incessant attacks and killings by armed herders and terrorists.
General Oluyede left Abuja on Tuesday, June 3 with his Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) and other senior officials from the army headquarters to conduct a direct, on-the-ground assessment of the security situation in the state.
The army chief also ordered the deployment of additional troops to Benue to counter the activities of the armed groups and restore order.
During his visit, Oluyede is expected to hold strategic meetings with unit and field commanders to review ongoing operations, refine tactics, and develop new strategies to end the killings.
He will also tour various military bases and deployment sites across the state, where he plans to engage directly with troops to boost morale and reinforce the army’s commitment to the mission.
In addition, the COAS is scheduled to visit several communities that have been recently attacked.
General Oluyede visit is also aimed as reassuring residents of their safety as well as to reaffirm the army’s dedication to protecting the lives and property of law-abiding citizens.
The ongoing violence in Benue has been described by many observers as a form of ethnic cleansing.
Armed assailants, suspected to be herders, have launched deadly assaults using advanced firearms and machetes.
At least 43 people were killed in renewed attacks across multiple communities in Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas (LGAs) last week.
These latest killings came only a week after a herder militia shot Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo on the Makurdi-Naka road and launched assaults on four communities in Gwer West LGA, including the hometown of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe.
That attack left 42 people dead, including a mobile police officer.
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