Commissioner of Police, Emenari Ifeanyi

Security forces in Benue State have confirmed the arrest of suspects linked to the recent deadly attack in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, where scores were killed and thousands displaced.

The Commissioner of Police, Emenari Ifeanyi, disclosed this at a press briefing on Sunday, days after President Bola Tinubu ordered security chiefs to apprehend those responsible for the violence. Although the police chief declined to reveal the identities of the arrested individuals, he confirmed that progress had been made.

Emenari credited the breakthrough to the support of Governor Hyacinth Alia and revealed that special deployment units sent by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had arrived in Benue and were already stationed across rural communities to bolster security.

He urged landlords and hotel operators in the state to monitor and verify the identities of tenants and guests in order to prevent harbouring criminal elements.

This development follows President Tinubu’s firm directive during his visit to Benue last Wednesday. Addressing top security officials, he demanded swift action:

“Police, I hope your men are on alert to listen to information. How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be an arrest of those criminals,” he charged.

The President also pressed top security and intelligence agencies—including the Chief of Defence Staff, the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and the Department of State Services (DSS)—to intensify operations and intelligence gathering to prevent further attacks.

The Yelwata killings, allegedly carried out by suspected herdsmen, left a trail of devastation in the agrarian community, once again highlighting the volatile security situation in Nigeria’s North-Central region.