COAS, Oluyede relocates to Benue as killings by herdsmen, militias escalate

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Oluyede, has relocated to Makurdi, the Benue State capital, following the relentless killings of innocent villagers by suspected herdsmen and armed militia groups.

The unending attacks, which have become a daily occurrence, have claimed numerous lives, left many injured, homes destroyed, and hundreds displaced.

According to Daily Sun, the army chief departed Abuja on Tuesday alongside his Principal Staff Officers and other top military officers to personally assess the security situation and operations in Benue State. The COAS, deeply troubled by the wave of violence in the state, is determined to confront the crisis head-on.

As part of immediate measures, General Oluyede has directed the deployment of additional troops to strengthen ongoing operations and confront the armed groups responsible for the killings. He is also scheduled to hold strategic sessions with all operational and unit commanders to review tactics, bolster morale, and devise fresh strategies to decisively end the bloodshed.

The Army Chief is expected to visit several military bases and frontline positions across the state to interact with soldiers, boost their morale, and reassure affected communities of the military’s resolve to secure lives and property. He will also visit some of the villages recently attacked, where he will meet with residents and displaced persons.

Sources disclosed that General Oluyede, visibly displeased by the sustained violence in the state, is considering key strategic changes, including redeploying some operational commanders to strengthen the military’s response.

This move comes just weeks after the COAS similarly relocated to Borno State at the height of renewed terrorist attacks. His direct involvement there reportedly turned the tide against insurgents, significantly reducing attacks and restoring calm to affected areas.

Benue State has remained one of Nigeria’s hardest-hit regions by armed attacks, widely described as ethnic cleansing. Just on Sunday, at least 43 people were killed in fresh assaults on several communities in Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas. This was barely a week after herdsmen militia ambushed and shot a priest, Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo, along the Makurdi-Naka road and attacked four other communities in Gwer West, including the hometown of Catholic Bishop Wilfred Anagbe, where 42 people, including a mobile police officer, were killed.

The attacks have sparked national outrage, with calls for urgent, decisive action from the government and security agencies to restore peace in the region. General Oluyede is expected to remain in Benue for several days to oversee operations before returning to Abuja.