MAKURDI — Security agencies in Benue State have arrested suspects linked to the recent deadly attack in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, where several lives were lost and thousands displaced.
The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Emenari Ifeanyi, announced the arrests during a press briefing on Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Makurdi.
While confirming the development, the police chief declined to disclose the identities or number of those apprehended, citing operational sensitivities.
The arrests come days after President Bola Tinubu issued a direct order to Nigeria’s service chiefs and the Inspector General of Police to apprehend those responsible for what he described as a “dastardly attack.”
“Police, I hope your men are on alert to listen to information. How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” Tinubu had told Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun during his visit to Benue on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
The President had also addressed top security officials, including the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar; Director-General of the Department of State Services; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency.
“Christopher, you have given much. I watch your comments, you can’t be tired of staying in the bush. Oloyede and the Air Marshal, we thank all of you, but we need to keep our ears to the ground… let’s get those criminals out,” Tinubu said.
Commissioner Ifeanyi noted that the swift action taken by the police and other security operatives was made possible with critical support from Governor Hyacinth Alia.
He also confirmed that personnel deployed to the state by IGP Egbetokun had fully arrived and had been dispatched to vulnerable rural communities to bolster security presence and intelligence gathering.
“Landlords and hotel owners must begin profiling their tenants and clients,” the police commissioner warned.
“We must collectively prevent terror from taking root in Benue.”
The attack on Yelwata, reportedly carried out by gunmen suspected to be herders, shocked residents and drew widespread condemnation.
The violence further deepened fears in the agricultural heartland, which has suffered recurring communal and farmer-herder clashes in recent years.
