The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lt-Gen Olufemi Oluyede, has relocated to Makurdi, the Benue State capital, with a view to curtailing the incessant killings of innocent villagers by herders and militia groups.
The killings, which are almost becoming a daily routine, have claimed many lives, left several others injured and maimed, and many houses burnt, leaving many homeless.
The army chief reportedly departed Abuja on Tuesday morning, alongside his Principal Staff Officers, PSOs, as well as other top officers at the Army Headquarters, to the state to have an on-the-spot assessment of the situation on the ground.
Oluyede has reportedly ordered the deployment of more troops to the state to give the militia and other armed groups terrorising the people of the state the battle of their lives.
The COAS will hold strategic meetings with all operational and unit commanders to brainstorm on the way forward, as well as review the ongoing operations with a view to ending the killings.
He will also visit troops’ locations and operational bases in the state to interact with troops and boost their morale and fighting spirit.
Oluyede is also expected to visit villages that have been attacked and reassure residents of their safety and the resolve of the Nigerian Army to protect the lives and property of law-abiding citizens.
The attacks in Benue have been described as ethnic cleansing by many, as gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have embarked on a killing spree, attacking villagers in their villages using sophisticated guns and machetes.
Last weekend, gunmen killed 43 persons in renewed attacks carried out on several communities of Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas of the state.
The attacks occurred barely one week after herdsmen militia shot a priest, Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo, along the Makurdi-Naka road and attacked four communities in Gwer West LGA, including the village of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, killing 42 persons, including a mobile police officer
