The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has announced the arrest of 28 suspects linked to the recent massacre in Yelewata, Benue State, where 47 people were killed, 27 injured, and hundreds displaced.
Speaking at Force Headquarters in Abuja on Tuesday, Egbetokun described the incident as a “coordinated terrorist attack” and confirmed that both the masterminds and direct participants have been apprehended.
“It was a coordinated attack of terror against the communities,” the IGP said. “In this senseless and barbaric attack, 47 persons were confirmed killed, 27 sustained injuries, and hundreds have been displaced.”
Despite an initial claim that 26 suspects were arrested, Egbetokun’s detailed timeline revealed 28 arrests between June 19 and June 23. Two prime suspects were picked up on June 19, followed by seven others the next day. On June 21, another key planner was arrested. Then, 18 more suspects were caught on June 22, and police recovered two general-purpose machine guns on June 23.
The announcement comes days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited Benue and expressed frustration over the security agencies’ failure to prevent the recurring violence. During a high-level meeting with security chiefs, Tinubu demanded swift action to apprehend those behind the killings.
President Tinubu urged immediate arrests and prosecution, describing the repeated bloodshed in Benue as unacceptable. The arrests are seen as the government’s first major response to his directive.
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