The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has arrived in Benue State following a devastating attack in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area, where over 200 persons were reportedly burnt alive by suspected herdsmen.
The Nigeria Police Force confirmed the IGP’s visit in a brief statement posted on its official Facebook page on Monday, stating that Egbetokun has “ordered additional deployment of tactical teams” to contain the escalating security situation in the area.
The attack, which occurred in the agrarian community near Makurdi, the state capital, has sparked widespread outrage. Witnesses allege that the assailants, believed to be Fulani herdsmen, invaded the community and set fire to homes, burning many residents alive in one of the most gruesome incidents in recent times.
In the aftermath of the massacre, hundreds of youths took to the streets of Makurdi on Sunday to protest the incessant killings in the state. The demonstrators called on the federal government and the international community to intervene and put an end to the repeated attacks on rural communities in Benue.
The state government has yet to release an official casualty figure, but local sources estimate that nearly 250 lives were lost in the attack.
