The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has said that some residents of Yelwata in Benue State helped the attackers who killed over 100 people in the recent massacre.
General Musa spoke on Monday during a press briefing at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja. He revealed that the killers were not only sheltered by the locals but were also given food and even women.
“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. Yet, security forces received no information,” General Musa said.
He said this made it easier for the attackers to carry out their plan using a “hit-and-run” method. He also explained that the attackers were helped by informants in the area who told them where the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp was located, which led to a high number of deaths.
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President Bola Tinubu had visited Benue State last week to sympathize with the people. During his visit, he directed all security agencies to find those responsible for the killings and ensure justice is served.
General Musa confirmed that the military had received intelligence about planned attacks in other parts of Benue and had sent troops to those locations. However, he said the attackers misled them and struck in Yelwata instead.
He called on all Nigerians to be more alert and report anything suspicious.
“Security is everyone’s responsibility,” he added.
The Defence Chief also warned about the danger of Nigeria’s open and poorly protected borders. He said fighters and weapons are entering the country from troubled places like Sudan, Libya, and the Central African Republic.
“We need to be more serious about border security. We can learn from countries like Pakistan that built strong border walls to stop illegal movements,” he said.
He stressed that solving Nigeria’s security problems requires the joint efforts of the military, government agencies, and citizens.