Benue Massacre: Villagers Sheltered Killers, Fed Them Women – Defence Chief Exposes Chilling Truth

General Christopher Musa, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, has accused residents of Yelwata, Benue State, of aiding the gunmen who carried out the brutal June 14 massacre that left over 100 people dead, revealing that villagers not only fed the attackers but also provided them women and guidance to the IDP camp they later targeted.

Addressing journalists at Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, June 20, General Musa said troops had earlier received intelligence pointing to possible attacks in other locations, only to discover the real target was Yelwata — struck with military-style precision in a hit-and-run ambush. According to the CDS, the betrayal by locals significantly contributed to the scale of the tragedy.

He revealed that despite consistent security presence, no community member warned the military of the looming attack. “These criminals were harboured by people in the community. They were given food. They were even given women. They were guided on where the IDP camp was located,” he stated, calling the act “a betrayal that cost lives.”

President Tinubu had visited Benue State on June 19 and ordered the military to identify and neutralize the attackers. General Musa assured that a national joint force is now fully activated. He said the military is also grappling with weapons and fighter influx from unstable Sahel nations like Libya and Sudan, exploiting Nigeria’s porous northern borders.

Drawing comparisons with Pakistan’s border defence against Afghanistan, Musa called for stronger physical and technological border infrastructure. “We must stop thinking like an isolated country. Arms are flooding in, and we must learn from countries that took bold action,” he said.

Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, Deputy Director of Defence Media Operations, disclosed that 6,260 terrorists and criminals have been neutralised nationwide in two years. He detailed regional efforts, including the killing of 1,246 Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East and the rescue of 3,288 hostages in the North-West. Over N83 billion worth of stolen crude oil was also recovered in the Niger Delta.

Airstrikes continue to pound terrorist cells, including a successful June 16 operation in Borno that destroyed an IED-making factory used by ISWAP. “This strike has shattered their logistics and sent shockwaves through their ranks,” said Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame of the Nigerian Air Force.

Legal expert and security analyst Bulama Bukarti urged the federal government to officially declare the Benue killings as acts of terrorism, not mere communal clashes. “This is coordinated, premeditated terrorism. At least 400 people have been killed in Benue in the last three months. We must call it what it is and respond decisively,” Bukarti said during an appearance on Channels Television.