The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has rallied stakeholders in Benue, calling for collaboration to stem the renewed spate of killings in the food-producing state.
The Armed Forces are with you. We are pained about what’s happening. For me, it’s a personal thing. I don’t want to be the chief of defense of our Armed Forces when people are being killed. No,” General Musa said on Tuesday during a meeting with traditional rulers in Makurdi, the Benue State capital.
We have gone to Liberia, we’re going to Sierra Leone, we’ve gone to other countries, and have brought peace. Why not in our own country?
So, I want to assure you, no member of the Armed Forces is going to be against one. If we notice anybody, we’re ready to prosecute that person. But we are going to count on your support so that we can be able to achieve [peace] and work together. We must achieve [peace] together.
He cited the success recorded in Zango Kataf in Kaduna State through collaboration with stakeholders and believes a similar thing can be achieved in Benue.
The CDS said, “I’m sure you’re all aware I’m from Zango Kataf, and I know when you hear Zango Kataf, you know that we are also having similar issues on the ground. But if you notice, for the past two years, the issues of Zango Kataf have gone, and what have we done?
One, we made them understand that, look, we need to talk to ourselves because a house that is divided cannot stand. It is only when we are together that we can be able to face our common enemy, and that’s very critical.
Armed Forces Will Go After Them
Scores of people have been killed in the food-producing state in the last few weeks following renewed attacks, with many displaced and others severely injured.
That has prompted national outrage and protests.
However, the CDS during the meeting directed military commanders to go after the assailants, promising to fish them out.
We must find out where they are. We must go after them. And that’s the directive I’m giving my commanders, he said.
We have had some areas where we think they are holing up, where they are gathering. We’re going to go after them so that we can dislodge them. We shouldn’t wait until they come to attack people.
The fresh wave of killings in the North-Central State has prompted President Bola Tinubu to schedule a visit to the state on Wednesday after directing security agencies to go after the attackers and restore peace to the communities.
In preparation for the visit, President Tinubu has already dispatched the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, the National Security Adviser, and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees to Benue State.
The President is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit, a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed on Monday.
Tinubu also sympathised with the people of the state and those who lost their loved ones in the attacks.
