Leadnaija
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has relocated to Makurdi, the state capital, in a decisive move to end the bloodshed by armed herdsmen.
The COAS, accompanied by top officials from Army Headquarters, arrived from Abuja on Tuesday to assess the deteriorating security situation firsthand.
His visit comes in response to the wave of violent attacks by suspected herdsmen and armed militias, which have left scores dead, several injured or maimed, and countless homes and farmlands destroyed.
“This massacre must stop. The COAS is deeply concerned and has come here to take charge,” a top military source told Daily Sun.
As part of immediate measures, General Oluyede has ordered the deployment of additional troops across flashpoints in the state, with a mandate to decisively engage and neutralize criminal elements responsible for the ongoing terror.
He is also expected to chair high-level strategic meetings with operational commanders in Benue, reviewing current military operations and charting a new course for restoring security in the embattled state.
While on ground, the COAS will visit troops at various operational bases, interact with officers, and boost their morale.
He is also slated to tour affected communities, sympathize with victims, and reassure residents of the army’s resolve to safeguard their lives and property.
Sources revealed that Oluyede may also make sweeping changes in the military command structure in the state, including the redeployment of underperforming commanders, to inject fresh energy into the operations.
On Sunday alone, no fewer than 43 people were killed in coordinated attacks across several communities in Gwer West and Apa LGAs.
This came just days after armed herdsmen shot a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo, along the Makurdi–Naka road, and attacked multiple villages — including that of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe — killing 42 people, among them a Mobile Police Officer
