The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Oluyede, has deployed to Makurdi, Benue State, following a sharp rise in lethal attacks by armed herders and militia groups targeting rural communitie.
The sustained violence has inflicted heavy casualties, with multiple fatalities, severe injuries, and extensive property destruction, displacing large numbers of civilians.
Disturbed by the worsening security crisis, the COAS departed Abuja on Tuesday morning with his Principal Staff Officers (PSOs) and senior military commanders to assess the situation firsthand and reinforce operational deployments.
In a decisive move, Lieutenant General Oluyede has ordered the immediate reinforcement of troops to the state, directing intensified counter-insurgency operations against armed elements terrorising the region.
During his operational tour, the COAS will hold tactical reviews with field commanders to refine engagement strategies, visit forward operating bases to evaluate troop readiness, and engage with affected communities to reassure residents of the Nigerian Army’s resolve to restore security.
According to a Daily Sun report, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Oluyede, has expressed grave concern over the relentless killings in Benue State, where near-daily attacks have devastated communities in recent weeks.
Sources indicate he is finalising plans for significant operational changes, including the potential redeployment of new field commanders to lead counter-insurgency efforts in the region.
The strategic reshuffle, expected imminently, aims to decisively curb the violence within days. During his deployment to Benue, the COAS will personally command frontline operations and remain on the ground for an extended period before returning to Abuja.
This follows Lieutenant General Oluyede’s recent relocation to Borno State, where his direct leadership of counter-terrorism operations significantly reduced attacks in previously liberated areas. Troops under his command have maintained sustained clearance operations, aggressively engaging insurgent strongholds.
The Benue crisis, widely condemned as ethnic cleansing, has sparked national alarm. Armed assailants—predominantly suspected herdsmen—have repeatedly raided villages, executing indiscriminate killings with firearms and machetes. In a particularly brutal escalation last Sunday, attackers slaughtered at least 43 civilians According to a Daily Sun report, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Oluyede, has expressed grave concern over the relentless killings in Benue State, where near-daily attacks have devastated communities in recent weeks. Sources indicate he is finalising plans for significant operational changes, including the potential redeployment of new field commanders to lead counter-insurgency efforts in the region.
The strategic reshuffle, expected imminently, aims to decisively curb the violence within days. During his deployment to Benue, the COAS will personally command frontline operations and remain on the ground for an extended period before returning to Abuja.
This follows Lieutenant General Oluyede’s recent relocation to Borno State, where his direct leadership of counter-terrorism operations significantly reduced attacks in previously liberated areas. Troops under his command have maintained sustained clearance operations, aggressively engaging insurgent strongholds.
The Benue crisis, widely condemned as ethnic cleansing, has sparked national alarm. Armed assailants—predominantly suspected herdsmen—have repeatedly raided villages, executing indiscriminate killings with firearms and machetes. In a particularly brutal escalation last Sunday, attackers slaughtered at least 43 civilians across Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas. This atrocity occurred just days after herdsmen militants wounded Reverend Father Solomon Atongo in an ambush and massacred 42 villagers in a coordinated assault on four Gwer West communities, including the home settlement of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe. Gwer West and Apa Local Government Areas. This atrocity occurred just days after herdsmen militants wounded Reverend Father Solomon Atongo in an ambush and massacred 42 villagers in a coordinated assault on four Gwer West communities, including the home settlement of Bishop Wilfred Anagbe.
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