The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, has attributed the recent wave of violent killings in Benue State to suspected foreign mercenaries, suggesting that those responsible are not Nigerian nationals.
Oluyede made the statement on Saturday, June 21, during the opening session of the Nigerian Army Civil-Military Cooperation quarterly media chat held in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
Represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2 Division, Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Major General Obinna Onubogu, the Army Chief said the nature and tactics of the assailants indicate foreign involvement, as their actions do not align with Nigerian cultural or national values.
“We are mindful that some of these people may be foreign elements,” he stated. “Their behaviour is utterly despicable and inconsistent with any known Nigerian identity or value system.”
General Oluyede strongly condemned the ongoing attacks and displacement of residents in affected Benue communities, reaffirming the military’s determination to defend the country’s sovereignty against both internal and external threats.
He noted that security agencies are updating their operational strategies to dismantle the armed groups responsible for the violence and bring them to justice.
“The Nigerian Army remains actively engaged in troubled areas like Plateau, Benue, Kwara, and others experiencing insecurity,” he said. “In Benue, especially, we will be launching more comprehensive security operations in the coming weeks to end these attacks. We are going after them — and by God’s grace, we will get them.”
The Army Chief also revealed that President Bola Tinubu has issued direct and decisive orders to the military, which has led to full deployment of troops to the most affected regions.
“The President has made it clear that we must act decisively. We are fully deployed and tackling the situation head-on,” Oluyede added.
He urged local communities to support the military with accurate and timely intelligence, pointing out that delays in information sharing — along with limited troop numbers — often hinder swift response to threats.
“Nigeria is vast, and contrary to popular belief, our troop numbers are limited. We depend greatly on local cooperation,” he explained. “Unfortunately, many residents do not provide helpful information quickly enough, which hampers our response. That must change if we are to succeed together.”
His remarks follow a recent deadly attack in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where at least 200 people — including security personnel and internally displaced persons (IDPs) — were killed in Yelewata and Daudu communities by suspected armed groups.
