Tinubu has instructed security chiefs to deliver security and long-term peace to Benue, saying the recent killings are disheartening.
On Sunday, President Bola Tinubu termed the latest deaths in Benue State as sad, stating that the government will not allow the bloodshed to continue.
Tinubu instructed security chiefs to carry out his earlier directive to provide long-term peace and security to Benue State.
He urged Governor Hyacinth Alia to hold a conference of the warring factions to ensure long-term peace.
Pope Leo XIV expressed heartfelt grief on Sunday over the deadly attack in Benue State, which resulted in the deaths of around 200 people. The Pope addressed at Mass at the Vatican. He prayed solemnly for the deceased and Nigeria in general.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has urged Tinubu to declare war on criminal elements that are wreaking havoc on communities in Benue State and other states in the region.
Similarly, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Deputy Governor of Benue State Sam Ode, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) decried the cold-blooded executions as horrific.
Benue State youths gathered at Wurukum Roundabout early Sunday morning to protest the state’s ongoing violence caused by suspected Fulani herders. They were later tear-gassed by police officers stationed in the area.
The attacks in Benue State occurred at night on June 13 and 14 in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area.
According to THISDAY, the majority of the deceased were internally displaced people being treated at a hospital run by a local Catholic mission.
Tinubu’s Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued a statement renewing his order in the aftermath of the most recent round of attacks, which claimed the lives of many people.
On the president’s orders, intelligence leaders, police, and military personnel have come in the state to oversee security operations and restore order.
Tinubu Alia will host reconciliation talks and dialogue among the warring groups in order to put an end to the bloodshed and establish long-term peace and harmony between herders and indigenous communities.
The president described the killings as inhumane and anti-progress, and he urged political and community leaders in conflict zones to cease fueling the problem with unguarded statements that could exacerbate tensions. He urged leaders to rein in those who want to provoke and incite revenge attacks.
According to the release, Tinubu said, “The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing.” We cannot allow this bloodletting to go unchecked. Enough is enough.
“I have urged security services to take decisive action and arrest and prosecute perpetrators of these horrible crimes on all sides of the conflict.
“Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.”
The president stated, “Now is the time for Governor Alia to act as a statesman and immediately lead the process of dialogue and reconciliation that will bring peace to Benue.”
“Our people must live in peace, and it is possible when leaders across the divides work together in harmony and differences are identified and addressed with fairness, openness and justice.”
Pope prays for victims and seeks peace.
During Mass at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV expressed his deep grief over the tragic tragedy on Benue and offered prayers for the deceased and Nigeria in general.
The pope described the killings as a “terrible massacre” carried out with “extreme cruelty,” and urged an end to the cycle of violence.
He elaborated: “A terrible massacre took place, in which about 200 people were killed, with extreme cruelty, most of whom were internally displaced, hospitalised by the local Catholic mission.”
During his speech at the Vatican, the pope, visibly upset, called for an end to the unending cycle of bloodshed in Nigeria, a country he described to as “beloved” but “so affected by various forms of violence”.
He said, “I pray that security, justice, and peace reign in Nigeria, a cherished country plagued by all types of violence. And I pray especially for the rural Christian communities in Benue State, which have been repeatedly victimized by violence.”
The pope’s statement added to the rising international criticism of the ongoing bloodshed in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, which is frequently plagued by sectarian and communal warfare.
The pope implored the world community not to ignore those who suffer in silence. He urged Nigerian authorities to ensure the safety and dignity of all citizens.
CAN to Tinubu: Declare Total War on Criminals Terrorising Benue, Borno, and Others.
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) across the 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has urged Tinubu to declare war on criminal groups terrorizing communities in Benue State.
CAN also asked the government to halt the revival of Boko Haram terrorist activity in Borno State.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Kaduna, the group urged the president to take decisive measures to put an end to the violence and devastation.
The statement, signed by Northern CAN’s Secretary General, Sunday Oibe, decried Saturday’s killings in Benue villages and declared that the ongoing attacks by suspected herders are unacceptable.
The group voiced significant concern about the deteriorating security situation in Benue, Borno, and other areas of the country.
Oibe added that the violent acts of suspected herders and Boko Haram terrorists had made life increasingly difficult for innocent residents.
According to the statement, “On Saturday, June 13, 2025, we got worrisome reports of attacks by suspected herdsmen in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Benue State’s Guma Local Government Area.
“According to available information, over 100 people were killed in the attacks, which occurred less than 48 hours after the tragic killing of 25 people in the Mtswenem and Akondotyough Bawa communities in Makurdi LGA.”
“According to reports, several internally displaced individuals (IDPs) and farmers were slain, with some being burned alive in temporary shelters.
“The attackers, armed with sophisticated weaponry, were claimed to have began the attack around midnight and continued for more than two hours.
“Similarly, last week in Borno State, one person was killed, while Rev. Fr. Daniel Afina, a Catholic priest and project coordinator of a Christian NGO, along with nine others, were abducted by Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists on the Gwoza-Limankara Road as they were ambushed while returning from Mubi in Adamawa State.”
Oibe noted that the security situation looked to be deteriorating just as security agencies appeared to have subdued the criminal groups.
He stated in the statement, “We immediately call on the federal government to take decisive and comprehensive action to put an end to the killings and restore peace and security.
“President Bola Tinubu’s administration has made initial strides in reducing these violent acts. However, these gains must be maintained and increased.
“We ask the president to declare absolute war on these criminals and direct security agencies to eliminate the threat within a specific and enforced time frame.
“If the crisis exceeds the capabilities of Nigeria’s security forces, the government should seek international aid to halt the killings and abductions.
“The killings are unjustified, even within the animal kingdom. This cruelty is uncommon, but in Nigeria, innocent lives are sacrificed needlessly and frequently.”
Atiku shocked by fresh Benue attacks.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar expressed shock and grief at the killings in Benue state.
Atiku urged the federal government to step in and ensure that the perpetrators of the horrible murders were apprehended and convicted.
In a statement, the former vice president lamented that the killers targeted helpless Nigerians.
He proposed: “Enhanced security presence in the region, deploying necessary resources, personnel, equipment, and intelligence to guarantee the protection of vulnerable rural areas.”
Atiku added, “I am terribly disturbed and shocked by the devastating news of the recent atrocities in Benue State, where over 100 innocent lives are thought lost.
“These killings, which once again target vulnerable populations, highlight our country’s rising insecurity situation. Words cannot explain the grief felt by people who have been widowed, orphaned, or displaced.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families and communities that have experienced terrible tragedy. As a nation, we must pause and consider the growing human toll of this senseless bloodshed.
“I urge the federal government and Benue State authorities to conduct a prompt and transparent investigation into the attack.”
“The identities of the perpetrators must be swiftly uncovered and justice served.”
The former vice president stated that the federal government should “increase security presence in the region, deploying the necessary resources, personnel, equipment, and intelligence to ensure the protection of vulnerable rural areas.”
“To restore confidence and develop resilience, engage affected communities in engagement with traditional leaders and civic society.
“Accelerate compensation and support effort, including medical aid, trauma counselling, and livelihood restoration for survivors and bereaved families.”
He stated, “This attack on innocent Nigerians is not just a local tragedy; it is a national issue requiring prompt attention and firm action.
“I urge all Nigerians, regardless of ethnicity or faith, to join in condemning this tragedy. We must hold our leaders accountable and demand on long-term answers to the horrific tragedies that have claimed lives across the country.
“May God comfort the grieving families, heal our nation, and help us reclaim peace and security for all.”
Obi: The killings demonstrate leadership failure.
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate for 2023, criticized the Benue killings, citing them as a direct result of Nigeria’s leadership failure.
Obi expressed his sadness over the attacks, which killed women, children, troops, and displaced people, in a statement posted on X (previously Twitter) on Sunday.
He demanded an immediate national response, saying that mass massacres were becoming more common in the country.
Bi added, “My heart is heavy when I learn of yet another awful sequence of massacres in Benue of women, children, soldiers, and displaced individuals, all of whom were killed senselessly.
“This tragedy has become too common in our national life, and the Benue situation now calls for a national emergency.”
According to the former Anambra State governor, the severity of the deaths goes beyond individual violence and reveals systemic government failures.
“Over 200 people have reportedly been killed in a single attack, with homes burned, families shattered, and towns destroyed. This isn’t just violence. It is a failure of leadership, a stain on our collective conscience,” Obi said.
HURIWA warns of an impending ethnic war.
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has issued a harsh warning to the federal government, urging it to immediately halt the ongoing attacks by suspected Fulani herders or face widespread armed opposition from other ethnic groups in the country.
The rights group called the recent slaughter of over 200 people in Benue State as a crime against humanity and a dangerous escalation that could lead to widespread ethnic warfare.
HURIWA issued the warning in a press statement issued in Abuja by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in response to herdsmen’s violent attack on the Tiv-speaking Yelewata and Daudu towns in Benue’s Guma Local Government Area.
The group said that despite prior intelligence from people about the coming attack, the federal government and security authorities failed to intervene or send sufficient soldiers to the area.
HURIWA claimed that gunmen rushed the towns from two sides, overpowering local youths and police officers before opening fire on unarmed residents, including IDPs cowering in market booths.
HURIWA denounced the federal government’s “persistent inaction,” calling the security chiefs and the National Security Adviser grossly incompetent and complicit.
The association warned that if the government fails to act decisively to put an end to the alleged targeted killings carried out by armed Fulani insurgents, Nigeria could descend into an unprecedented civil war, as ethnic groups facing continued invasions may begin to arm themselves for self-defense.