Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has announced the arrival of Special Forces comprising of a combined team of tactical and response squads to tackle insecurity and address the ongoing challenges in the state.
Alia who made the disclosure in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula in Makurdi on Sunday, said the Special Forces would complement the existing security deployments to vulnerable areas.
“I acknowledge and share in your pains and grief caused by these attacks on the community by criminal elements suspected to be armed herdsmen,” the governor said in the statement.
“The state government is consistently engaging with federal security agencies, traditional rulers, community leaders, and relevant stakeholders to strengthen security interventions and provide lasting solutions to these persistent attacks.
“We assure citizens that more tactical teams have started arriving in Benue from the Federal Government, and additional security deployments are being arranged for vulnerable areas.”
“Response squad teams are also deployed and will be in Benue from Sunday; strategic community dialogues are ongoing to enhance active intelligence sharing.”
“The state’s joint operations units are also being strengthened, and the government will not relent in its utmost commitment to defending the lives and properties of all residents,” he added.
Alia who condemned the attacks and massacre of innocent citizens at Yelwata by “suspected criminal herders’, on Saturday, called on religious, traditional, and political leaders across the state to sensitise and guide the youths under their influence against unlawful gatherings or confrontations that may spiral out of control.
He also appealed to the public to make use of official communication channels to report any suspicious activities and to stay informed through credible sources.
