IGP Announces 14-Day Clearance Operation To Flush Out Bandits In Benue

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu, has announced a 14-day clearance operation to flush out bandits from identified flashpoints across forests in Benue State, describing the persistent insecurity in the state as unacceptable.

Disu made the declaration on Thursday during a security town hall meeting in Makurdi hosted by Governor Hyacinth Alia. The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including the Tor Tiv, James Ayatse; the Och’Idoma, His Royal Majesty John Elaigwu Odogbo; religious leaders; and other stakeholders, who unanimously called for decisive action against all bandits, whether local or foreign.

The IGP described the security situation in Benue as a source of “sleepless nights” for both residents and security agencies, lamenting that the state, once renowned for peace and hospitality, had become engulfed by violence.

According to him, the crisis has evolved beyond farmer-herder clashes, with kidnappers, armed gangs and political interests aggravating the insecurity.

The IGP urged young people not to allow themselves to be recruited by influential individuals to perpetrate violence, particularly during elections.

“The youth are usually not the ones who start wars, but they are the ones who fight them. Parents must caution their children against being used as cannon fodder,” he said.

Disu condemned the cycle of attacks and reprisals across the state, saying it must come to an end.

He conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s directive that insecurity in Benue would no longer be tolerated and warned that only authorised security personnel were permitted to bear arms.

The police chief vowed to intensify efforts to recover illegal firearms and said officers had been directed to act decisively, in line with Force Order 237, whenever confronted by armed criminals.

He acknowledged concerns over police misconduct, admitting that the Force was not perfect but assuring residents that every complaint against officers would be investigated and appropriate action taken.

Disu directed the Benue Commissioner of Police to publicly display his contact details to encourage residents to report crimes and police misconduct, stressing that policing could only succeed through community partnership.

“The Nigeria Police belongs to the people. We are here to serve you, not to be your masters,” he said.

The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Mobile Policing, Francis Iduh, disclosed that the Force had identified 14 major security flashpoints across Benue for targeted operations.

He listed the vulnerable areas to include Bajimba, Arufu, Agasha, Kwande, Agatu, Naka, Otukpo, Makurdi, Apa and other communities mapped for intensive surveillance.

Iduh said the planned 14-day operation would involve stability and clearance patrols aimed at reclaiming forests, farmlands and criminal hideouts.

He explained that the exercise would target armed herders, bandits and other criminal elements without victimising innocent residents.

“If communities partner with us and provide credible intelligence, we will deal with criminals without criminalising law-abiding citizens,” he said.

Governor Hyacinth Alia, in his address, described the IGP’s visit as timely and a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing insecurity in Benue.

He noted that attacks on farming communities had claimed lives, displaced residents and threatened food security in Benue and across Nigeria.

The governor said his administration had continued to support security agencies with operational vehicles, motorcycles, communication equipment and other logistics, while pledging full backing for the proposed security operation.

Governor Alia reiterated his support for state police, arguing that officers familiar with the local terrain and communities would be better equipped to tackle insecurity.

“It is no longer a question of whether we need state police. The issue now is how it should operate because we urgently need it,” he said.

The town hall meeting provided the IGP with rare insights into the peculiar security challenges facing Benue, including violent attacks allegedly perpetrated by suspected herdsmen in vulnerable communities, activities of local militias targeting travellers and businesses in rural areas, as well as cult-related killings and robberies in the major towns of Makurdi, Gboko and Otukpo Local Government Areas.