Governments of Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau States have agreed to work together to tackle insecurity and end the wave of deadly attacks linked to herdsmen in the North Central region.
The agreement was announced during a joint press conference held in Makurdi, Benue State, where top officials from the three states met to discuss urgent steps toward peace and security in the region.
Director-General of Nasarawa State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Ben Akwash, said he and his counterpart from Plateau State were in Benue to sympathize with the people over the recent massacre in Yelewata, which claimed over 200 lives.
“We are in Benue not only to commiserate with the government and people, but to rub minds on how to prevent such attacks in future,” Akwash said. He called on both Nasarawa and Benue governments to strengthen security around Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps and prayed for protection for survivors.
Also speaking, Executive Secretary of Plateau State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Sunday Abdul, described the killings in Yelewata as a shared tragedy that has affected the entire North Central region.
“What happened in Yelewata is happening in Southern Kaduna, Taraba, and parts of Nasarawa. These are wicked acts,” he said. Abdul encouraged the people of Benue to stay hopeful and urged Nigerians to pray for lasting peace across the region.
In his response, Dr. James Iorpuu, Executive Secretary of the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), expressed pain over the unending violence in the state, which he said has persisted since 2011.
“Benue has been under siege for over a decade. These attacks and killings are happening daily,” he lamented. Iorpuu described the Yelewata attack as “wicked” and disclosed that 107 victims are still receiving treatment in various hospitals.
He thanked the officials from Plateau and Nasarawa for their visit and solidarity, and called for urgent collaboration among the states to stop further bloodshed.
The meeting highlighted the growing unity among North Central states in confronting the challenge of insecurity, particularly the violence linked to herdsmen attacks, which have displaced thousands and left many communities in mourning.