The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, disclosed on Thursday that troops had acted on intelligence indicating that armed herders were heading toward several communities in Benue State.
According to Vanguard, he explained that the troops had mobilised and deployed to the locations mentioned in the intelligence report. However, upon arrival, they discovered that the information was inaccurate and that the actual attack had taken place in a different location.
General Musa further revealed that informants within the state were complicit in the tragedy, as they provided accommodation, food, and even women to the criminal elements responsible for the attack on Yelewata community, where no fewer than 200 people were killed. He stated that these informants had also shared details about the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Yelewata, specifically its location and environment, which enabled the attackers to target the area with precision, resulting in the high number of casualties.
Speaking during a meeting with the media at the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) in Abuja, the CDS noted that following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to apprehend those behind the Yelewata massacre, the military—comprising the Army, Navy, and Air Force—along with other security agencies, had launched operations to track down and arrest the perpetrators.
He acknowledged that the Police and other security forces had put up a valiant fight during the incident and had succeeded in neutralising some of the criminals. General Musa reiterated that when troops initially received the intelligence suggesting an imminent attack on various communities in the state, they responded swiftly by deploying to the named areas. However, he lamented that the intelligence turned out to be incorrect, and the attack had occurred elsewhere.
Further talking, he said, “This is why we always say communities should provide us with information. See something and report to security agencies. The criminals were given accommodation in the community. They were given food to eat. They were even given women before the attacks, yet the security agencies were not informed.How did they know about the IDP Camp and the location in that community ? They were teleguided by some persons in that community.
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