The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has alleged that residents of Yelwata in Benue State harboured the perpetrators of the recent massacre that claimed over 100 lives, providing them with food and women.
“These criminals were harboured by people in the community. They were given food. They were even given women. They were guided on where the IDP camp was located. Yet, security forces received no information,” the Defence Chief stated during an expanded media interaction at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, June 19.
“This is why we consistently urge communities to be vigilant and report suspicious activities. Security is everyone’s responsibility,” he added.
General Musa said troops had earlier received intelligence about potential attacks in parts of Benue State and had been deployed accordingly. However, “upon arrival at the mentioned locations, it turned out that the information was misleading as the real attack had been executed in Yelwata using a hit-and-run approach.”
He further disclosed that local informants had aided the attackers in locating the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Yelwata, contributing to the high casualty rate.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had, during his condolence visit to the state on Wednesday, June 18, directed security agencies to apprehend those responsible for the killings and destruction.
General Musa reiterated the president’s directive for full activation of all national security resources, promising that the perpetrators would be brought to justice.
He also expressed concern over Nigeria’s porous borders, describing them as a “growing threat” due to the spillover of fighters and weapons from conflict zones such as Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic. He warned, “These elements are exploiting Nigeria’s vast and unmonitored frontiers.”
Citing Pakistan as an example, he said Nigeria must learn from countries that have effectively managed their border security. “Nigeria’s security challenges require a whole-of-society approach involving collaboration between the military, civilian institutions and the public,” he said.
Providing an update on the military’s counter-terrorism operations, Deputy Director of Defence Media Operations, Brigadier-General Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, said that 6,260 terrorists and criminals had been killed in joint operations nationwide over the last two years. He added that 14,138 suspects were arrested while 5,365 civilians were rescued.
Abu-Mawashi detailed the breakdown of operations across the regions:
“Niger Delta: N83 billion worth of stolen crude was recovered, 103 criminals killed and 2,760 suspects arrested.
North East: 1,246 Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists neutralized, 2,467 arrested and 1,920 civilians rescued.
North West: 1,374 bandits killed, 2,160 arrested and 3,288 hostages rescued.
North Central: 730 terrorists killed, 7,153 arrested and 1,510 civilians rescued.
South East (Operation Udoka): 440 terrorists killed and 1,677 arrested.
South West: 80 criminals killed, 1,763 arrested and 89 kidnap victims rescued.”
Director of Defence Information, Brigadier-General Tukur Gusau, reaffirmed the military’s dedication to transparency and public engagement. Abu-Mawashi noted that the Defence Chief’s vision promotes a “people-centric Armed Forces.”
