Less than 48 hours after President Bola Tinubu ordered the arrest of the perpetrators behind the deadly attack on Yelwata community in Benue State, the State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of one suspect in connection with the killings.
President Tinubu, while addressing stakeholders in Makurdi on Wednesday, had openly rebuked the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, for the lack of arrests following the massacre that claimed over 50 lives.
“How come no one has been arrested for committing this heinous crime in Yelwata? Inspector General of Police, where are the arrests? The criminals must be arrested immediately,” the President demanded.
Speaking with journalists at the Command Headquarters in Makurdi on Friday, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Enemari, confirmed that one suspect had been arrested and was currently being interrogated.
He said the suspect had already provided useful information to investigators.
Enemari disclosed that four security operatives — including two soldiers, one officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and one civil protection guard — were killed in the attack.
He added that one police officer remains missing.
He explained that the incident began with an assault on a police station in Daudu, near Yelwata. Officers at the station engaged the attackers in a gun duel, killing two of the assailants.
While security forces responded to that attack, another group of armed men invaded Yelwata, launching a coordinated and deadly raid.
Initial reports put the civilian death toll at 45, but the Commissioner said the figure rose to 47 following the discovery of another body behind St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.
Eight others were critically injured, and two later died in the hospital, bringing the total number of civilian deaths to 47, excluding the two gunmen killed in the earlier exchange.
In response to the attack, Enemari said security has been beefed up in Yelwata and neighbouring areas with the deployment of mobile police units, tactical squads, and military support.
Addressing discrepancies between police casualty figures and Governor Hyacinth Alia’s earlier report of 59 deaths, the CP said his figures were based on on-the-ground assessments conducted in conjunction with community leaders and other security agencies.
“I am presenting what I personally observed on the ground, alongside the community youth leader and other security agencies,” he clarified.
On the arrest of protesters in Makurdi, Enemari explained that the demonstration, which initially began peacefully, was hijacked by hoodlums who engaged in criminal acts, including the burning of a fuel tanker with the driver trapped inside.
“This is not a peaceful protest — it is homicide. Fourteen suspects have been arrested and will be prosecuted in court,” he said.
Enemari also confirmed intelligence sharing with the Nasarawa State Police Command but declined to offer further operational details, citing ongoing investigations.
He addressed reports of arrests in Ushongo Local Government Area and Gyado Villa, Makurdi, where some individuals believed to be Fulani herders were detained.
He said investigations revealed they were ordinary travellers and not involved in the Yelwata killings.
“We handle each case based on evidence and due process,” the CP stated.
