Benue Massacre: Tinubu Orders Crackdown as Over 100 Killed, Pope Leo Prays for Shelter Victims

The blood-soaked streets of Yelwata in Guma LGA of Benue State have triggered a fresh wave of national and international outcry after more than 100 residents were slaughtered by gunmen suspected to be Fulani militias. As the death toll climbs and victims are buried in mass graves, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has finally broken silence, directing security chiefs to “act decisively” and stop what he described as an “inhuman and anti-progress” campaign of terror.

Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga confirmed the president’s orders in a Sunday, June 15, 2025 statement, noting that top intelligence and military officers have been deployed to coordinate ground operations. But the reaction came hours after global spiritual leader Pope Leo XIV condemned the killings, describing them as a “terrible massacre” of rural Christians, many of whom were being sheltered by a local Catholic mission.

Tension gripped Benue as enraged youth blocked the busy Lafia-Makurdi expressway in protest, demanding justice. By Sunday morning, Makurdi, the state capital, saw heavy police presence, with teargas fired at peaceful protesters. The mood in the city is one of rage, mourning, and disbelief over the government’s delay and what many residents describe as “habitual silence” from the presidency on tragedies of this scale.

President Tinubu’s directive extends to Governor Hyacinth Alia, whom he urged to immediately convene reconciliation talks among herders, farmers, and local leaders. The president emphasized that political and community figures should shun inflammatory remarks, warning that reckless rhetoric often escalates the cycle of revenge killings and lawlessness across the Middle Belt.

Benue, a state long plagued by ethno-religious and resource-driven conflict, continues to top Nigeria’s internal displacement charts. Reports from the International Crisis Group show over 1.5 million people displaced in the state as of May 2025, mostly due to land-related clashes between nomadic herders and settled farmers. The latest attack, said to have occurred at night, left women, children, and clergy among the dead.

The Vatican’s reaction has added weight to the international pressure on Abuja to act. Addressing the crowd at the Vatican City before the Angelus prayer, Pope Leo XIV expressed “deep sorrow” and called for peace and justice in Nigeria. “I hold in prayer the Christian rural communities of Benue State who continue to suffer relentless waves of violence,” he said.

The killings, protests, and global condemnation raise fresh questions about Nigeria’s security architecture and the slow pace of leadership response to mass atrocities. While Tinubu has vowed to prosecute all perpetrators, citizens, rights groups, and religious institutions are demanding more than promises—they want visible justice, swift arrests, and presidential presence at the epicenter of tragedy.