President Bola Tinubu has directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, to immediately arrest killer herders who perpetrated the heinous killing of over 100 people in Yelewata community in Benue State. President Tinubu gave the directive while addressing stakeholders at the Government House, Markudi.

The meeting included the Secretary to the Federal Government, George Akume, Traditional Rulers, and former Governors of the state. The governors of Kwara, Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, and Nasarawa also attended the meeting. President Tinubu called out the Inspector General of Police to know why arrests have not been made. He urged the heads of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to intensify surveillance and gather actionable intelligence to apprehend the perpetrators.

He told the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, of the need for vigilance and collaboration between communities and security forces. Advising Governor Alia on the importance of stakeholder management for peaceful and progressive governance, the President urged the governor to set up a peace committee in the state that will include former governors of Benue, elders, traditional rulers, federal government officials, and non-indigenes living in the state.

President Tinubu urged Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State to allocate land for ranching and directed the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to follow up.
He called for blood donations to support the injured receiving treatment at the Benue State Teaching Hospital, where he had earlier visited victims and medical staff.

While underscoring the importance of peace for sustainable development, President Tinubu implored the Governor to ensure Benue is peaceful, adding that the circumstances of his visit this time should not have been a reason to visit. He charged Governor Alia with working with the federal government to restore peace.
In his remarks, Governor Hyacinth Alia appealed to the Federal Government to establish a Special Intervention Fund for communities affected by repeated violent attacks across Benue State.

Governor Alia said the fund would support the rehabilitation of displaced persons, reconstruction of destroyed homes and infrastructure, and the restoration of livelihoods, especially for farmers. Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council, Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Prof. James Ayatse, praised President Tinubu for being the first sitting President to personally visit victims in the hospital in the wake of such a tragedy.

He thanked the President for appointing notable Benue indigenes into key positions, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, while expressing hope that more appointments would follow. On the recurring spate of insecurity in the state, the monarch took time to address misinformation and mischaracterization, saying that land grabbing is at the core of the decades-long conflict.