Our reporter
Some residents of Benue State provided shelter, food, and guidance to gunmen who massacred more than 150 people in Yelwata community, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has revealed.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Abuja, General Musa accused locals of offering support to the attackers and even directing them to an internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camp that was subsequently targeted.
“These criminals were harboured by people in the community. They were given food, they were given women, and they were shown exactly where the IDP camp was,” he said. “Yet, security forces received no information.”
He explained that misleading early reports had sent troops to the wrong locations, allowing the assailants to carry out a deadly hit-and-run operation.
The Defence Chief urged communities to collaborate more closely with security agencies to prevent further atrocities. “Security is everyone’s responsibility,” Musa warned.
He disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had ordered a full deployment of military, police, and intelligence assets to hunt down those behind the killings and ensure they face justice.
General Musa also raised concerns about porous borders, suggesting that arms and fighters from Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic were entering the country unchecked.
He cited Pakistan’s double-wall border with Afghanistan as a model for effective border control, saying Nigeria must do more to safeguard its territory.
“These senseless killings weigh heavily on our hearts,” he concluded. “We will do everything in our power to restore peace and security across the nation.”
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