Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has arrived in Benue State amid a wave of deadly attacks that have claimed over 160 lives in recent weeks. The IGP’s visit comes as part of renewed efforts to curb the ongoing violence attributed to suspected herdsmen.
The attacks, which have displaced hundreds and left multiple communities devastated, prompted widespread outrage and protests across the state. Many have linked the violence to long-standing tensions over land disputes between indigenous farming communities and nomadic herders.
Upon arrival Monday, the IGP immediately deployed additional tactical teams to support existing security personnel on the ground. The reinforcement is expected to ramp up intelligence gathering, surveillance, and offensive operations in the most affected areas.
President Bola Tinubu, reacting to the escalating crisis, ordered security chiefs on Sunday to decisively implement measures to restore peace in the food-producing state.
“Enough is now enough. I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them,” the President declared.
Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia recently revealed that while 17 local government areas were previously under siege, federal interventions have reduced the number to three.
The latest move by the IGP is seen as a critical test of the federal government’s capacity to bring enduring peace to a region that has suffered persistent violence for over a decade.
