CDS Meets Tor Tiv, Och’Idoma in Renewed Push for Peace in Benue
In a strategic effort to restore lasting peace and security in Benue State, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Gwabin Musa, on Thursday convened a high-level peace advocacy meeting with traditional rulers, including the Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty Professor James Ortese Ayatse, and the Och’Idoma, His Royal Majesty John Odogbo.
The closed-door meeting, held at the Old Banquet Hall of the Government House in Makurdi, was the second in a series of engagements aimed at addressing the persistent insecurity in the state, particularly farmer-herder clashes and banditry that have displaced thousands.
Speaking to journalists after the session, General Musa reiterated the commitment of the federal government and military to bring peace to Benue. He referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent visit to the state as part of the broader strategy to secure lives and property.
“We have a challenge in Benue State, and I believe working together, we will find a solution,” the CDS said. “When we sit down and talk sincerely, bringing out all that is affecting us, we’ll be able to find the solution.”
He praised the royal fathers for their honest inputs and urged traditional institutions to see the military not as outsiders but as partners and “sons” working for a peaceful Benue.
In response, the Tor Tiv acknowledged progress since the last meeting and admitted that some community members contribute to the crisis through acts like cattle rustling. He pledged to take responsibility and ensure greater control over his subjects.
The Och’Idoma also emphasized the importance of distinguishing between peaceful Fulani residents and armed herders involved in criminality. “We are not saying all Fulani should leave… We are asking only those carrying arms and causing terror, killing, raping, and destroying our farms to leave,” he stressed.
General Musa warned against individuals exploiting the conflict for political or economic gains and declared that the military would not tolerate any form of criminality. “Anybody bearing arms illegally will be arrested. If he threatens security forces, he will be neutralized,” he stated firmly.
On recent violence in Yelwata, the CDS confirmed arrests had been made and that prosecution would follow promptly, declaring that impunity would no longer be tolerated. He revealed that the area is now under control, with reinforcements deployed to enable the return of displaced persons.
He also addressed concerns over Cameroonian refugees allegedly contributing to local unrest, assuring that plans are underway to facilitate their return.
“The true measure of our success is when IDPs leave the camps and return home. That is our goal, and we are working hard to achieve it,” General Musa said.
The meeting concluded with renewed assurances of unity, cooperation, and action — a hopeful step towards ending years of bloodshed and displacement in Benue State.
