The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, has announced a 14-day clearance operation to flush out bandits from identified flashpoints across forests in Benue State, describing the persistent insecurity in the state as unacceptable.
Disu made the declaration on Thursday during a security town hall meeting in Makurdi hosted by Governor Hyacinth Alia. The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including the Tor Tiv, James Ayatse; the Och’Idoma, His Royal Majesty John Elaigwu Odogbo; religious leaders; and other stakeholders, who unanimously called for decisive action against all bandits, whether local or foreign.
The IGP described the security situation in Benue as a source of “sleepless nights” for both residents and security agencies, lamenting that the state, once renowned for peace and hospitality, had become engulfed by violence.
According to him, the crisis has evolved beyond farmer-herder clashes, with kidnappers, armed gangs and political interests aggravating the insecurity.
The IGP urged young people not to allow themselves to be recruited by influential individuals to perpetrate violence, particularly during elections.
“The youth are usually not the ones who start wars, but they are the ones who fight them. Parents must caution their children against being used as cannon fodder,” he said.
