By Toba Owojaiye
Benue, Nigeria
In a decisive move aimed at halting the cycle of violence that has left nearly 200 people dead in recent weeks, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered top security chiefs to relocate temporarily to Benue State, directing them to restore order and enforce justice without delay.
Truth Live News gathered that the directive was announced in a statement issued on Sunday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who emphasized the urgency of reasserting state authority amid the escalating crisis.
“The reports of mass killings in Benue are deeply troubling. We cannot continue to allow this carnage,” President Tinubu declared. “I have instructed security agencies to take decisive action, arrest all perpetrators regardless of affiliation, and ensure justice is served.”
Following the President’s directive, senior officials from the Nigerian Army, Police, Department of State Services (DSS), and Civil Defence Corps arrived in Benue over the weekend. Their relocation signals a rare but forceful escalation in federal response, underscoring the administration’s new zero-tolerance stance on communal bloodshed.
Insider sources confirm that the security delegation is working closely with Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to coordinate intelligence sharing, community outreach, and deployment of tactical units in vulnerable rural areas.
President Tinubu also tasked Governor Alia with convening urgent peace talks involving farmers, herders, traditional rulers, and religious leaders. The aim, he said, is to end decades of animosity and reprisal killings between agrarian and pastoral communities.
“This is a critical moment for Governor Alia to rise as a true statesman by leading dialogue and reconciliation efforts that will secure lasting peace,” Tinubu noted. “Nigerians must live in peace, and that is achievable when leaders put aside their differences and prioritize justice, unity, and fairness.”
In a stern warning to political actors and community leaders, the President condemned inflammatory rhetoric and covert support for armed groups, describing such acts as “barbaric” and “a threat to Nigeria’s progress.”
The Presidency further directed the Benue State Government to identify and prosecute individuals who incite violence, fund local militias, or engage in retaliatory attacks.
“Enough is enough,” Onanuga added. “The President has made it clear that no one will be spared, no matter how highly placed. This government will not fold its arms while Nigerians are slaughtered.”
The violence in Benue is part of a broader national security challenge involving farmer-herder clashes, banditry, and ethnic tensions across the North Central and North West regions. Analysts warn that failure to quell these conflicts undermines not only rural economies but also national cohesion.
Observers say Tinubu’s order reflects growing pressure on the federal government agencies to act decisively, especially after international rights groups and domestic civil society organizations condemned the increasing death toll.
If this effort fails, critics warn, the region may spiral into further chaos, eroding faith in both the state and federal government’s capacity to protect lives.