Buhari Condemns Benue Killings, Says ‘Attackers Must Be Found And Dealt With’

President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned what he described as the “extreme violence“ and killings of scores of people in Benue State in the last week.

Buhari’s condemnation was contained in a statement issued on Saturday by his Spokesman, Garba Shehu.

The president condemned the “use of terrorism as a tool in inter-communal conflicts”.

He also directed that the assailants “be found and dealt with” swiftly under the law.

According to the statement, the president directed the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force, and military commanders to enhance surveillance on every front and to immediately review the security management in the affected areas.

Buhari also conveyed his grief and sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives due to the attacks

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those murdered. The entire nation stands united in the fight against the forces of terror and evil,” the President was quoted as saying.

Recall that on Wednesday, about 46 persons including the thirty-three-year-old son of Otukpo Local Government Area Chairman Bako Eje, were killed by suspected herdsmen who invaded Umogidi village of Entekpa-Adoka district in Otukpo local government in Benue State.

The killing comes barely 24 hours after the same village, an Idoma-speaking community suffered an attack by suspected herdsmen with three persons killed.

Kanyi Daily earlier reported that suspected herdsmen killed many people during an attack on an Internal Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in the Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State.

The spokesman of the Benue State Police Command, DSP Sewuese Anene, who confirmed the attack on Friday, said many residents of the camp were killed.

Anene, who noted that the casualty figure is yet to be determined, stated that the response team had already been deployed to the area to calm down the situation.

Also, on Friday, following recent killings by suspected herdsmen, residents of the Apa local government area of Benue took to the streets in protest against the action of the assailants.

The protesters, according to reports, trooped to the Oweto-Loko/Abuja Road and mounted roadblocks on the expressway as commuters were stranded for hours.

They lamented that over 100 people had been killed and injured in the community by the terrorists, including a traditional chief whose hand was chopped off.