The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has moved to Makurdi, the capital of Benue State, in response to the ongoing killings of innocent villagers by herders and militia groups.
The COAS, accompanied by top officials from Army Headquarters, arrived from Abuja on Tuesday to assess the deteriorating security situation firsthand.
His visit comes in response to the wave of violent attacks by suspected herdsmen and armed militias, which have left scores dead, several injured or maimed, and countless homes and farmlands destroyed.
In Benue State, the COAS is expected to conduct strategic meetings with all operational and unit commanders to discuss future actions and review current operations aimed at halting the killings.
The COAS will also visit the locations of troops and operational bases within the state to engage with the soldiers and enhance their morale and fighting spirit.
Furthermore, the COAS is anticipated to visit the villages that have suffered attacks to reassure the residents of their safety and the commitment of the Nigerian army to safeguard the lives and properties of law-abiding citizens.
The COAS has expressed dissatisfaction with the reports of daily killings in Benue that have plagued the state in recent weeks and may implement strategic changes, including the reassignment of certain commanders to lead some of the operational units present.
General Oluyede will personally command troops during the operation at the battlefront while he is in the state.
He is anticipated to remain in the state for several days before returning to Abuja.
It is important to note that many have characterised the assaults in Benue as ethnic cleansing, as gunmen believed to be herdsmen have initiated a violent campaign, targeting villagers in their homes with advanced firearms and machetes.
Last weekend, gunmen claimed the lives of 43 individuals in a series of renewed assaults on various communities within the Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Benue State.
These attacks took place just a week after herdsmen militia shot Rev. Fr Solomon Atongo along the Makurdi-Naka road and assaulted four communities in Gwer West LGA, including the village of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, resulting in the deaths of 42 individuals, among them a mobile police officer
