Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa Launch Joint Security Response After 200 Killed in Yelewata Massacre
🗓️ 16 July 2025
🖋️ Byline: IDNN National Security Desk
Makurdi, Benue State – In the aftermath of the horrific Yelewata massacre, where over 200 people were killed in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, authorities from Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa states have initiated a joint regional security strategy to prevent further bloodshed across their shared borders.
The announcement came during a high-level condolence and emergency coordination meeting hosted in Makurdi by the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) on Tuesday.
“This level of carnage is unprecedented. Over 107 survivors are still in hospitals. We must act now,” said James Iorpuu, Executive Secretary of SEMA and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Benue State.
The June 13 massacre in Yelewata left entire communities displaced, homes razed, and hundreds fleeing on foot and by boat into the bush and neighboring villages.
A Regional Pact in the Making
Delegations from Plateau and Nasarawa state emergency agencies visited Benue to express solidarity and initiate a cross-state strategy to halt the movement of armed attackers who exploit porous borders between the three states.
“Benue has suffered enough. But so has Plateau, and so has Nasarawa. This is no longer a local problem — it is regional, and we are responding together,” said Sunday Abdu, Executive Secretary of Plateau State Emergency Management Agency.
Ben Akwash, Director-General of Nasarawa SEMA, also pledged his state’s full involvement in a joint task force-style operation.
“We are no longer condoning this. These attackers move across borders with ease. That ends now,” he said.
The officials said the collaboration would involve intelligence-sharing, coordinated patrols, joint emergency response protocols, and pre-emptive displacement mitigation.
They also plan to pool resources to manage the humanitarian fallout of the attacks, including flood preparedness.
A Humanitarian Crisis Unfolding
The Yelewata attack saw hundreds of residents flee across rivers and forests with no food, no shelter, and no belongings. Videos show children and women crossing rivers in canoes, escaping with only the clothes on their backs.
“Many fled half-naked. Some haven’t eaten for days. This isn’t just a security emergency — it’s a humanitarian crisis,” said one local aid worker in Gulbin-Boka.
More than 107 injured victims are still undergoing treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital and other clinics across the state.
“We pray Yelewata never happens again — anywhere,” Iorpuu said solemnly.
The Armed Actors
The identity of the attackers remains officially unconfirmed, but local sources believe they were heavily armed herdsmen and bandit militias, operating with apparent coordination.
Security analysts say the border belt between Nasarawa and Benue, particularly through Maraba-Udege and Agatu corridors, has become a well-known infiltration zone.
“If the three states can jointly control these corridors, we may finally have a shot at stopping the cycle,” said analyst Ayodeji Folorunsho.
A Call for Federal Intervention
Despite the regional pact, leaders from all three states have appealed for swift federal military deployment, drone surveillance, and more police tactical squads to support the local response.
“What we’ve started today is bold, but it won’t be enough without full federal support,” Abdu warned.
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