Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue State, says the efforts of the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government have reduced the activities of killer herders from 17 to three local government areas.

In an interview with Channels TV on Monday, Mr Alia said the president has been giving support to Benue State in the fight against marauding killers.

“If he (President Bola Tinubu) didn’t have an understanding of what is going on, he won’t be giving us full support,” Mr Alia said. “17 local governments out of 23 were under siege, and then we fought it down to nine local governments. We fought it down to six and now to three. It came down because of the full support we got from the federal government.”

He added, “The last time we had some severe attacks, three security units were assigned to us from the federal government. They came in, and there was a huge shift. Those who had occupied the spaces in the local governments had to leave.”

Mr Alia’s statement comes shortly after attacks on Yelewata in the Guma local government area left many dead over the weekend.

The attack has sparked criticisms of Mr Tinubu, with many Nigerians berating him as an incompetent leader.

Peoples Gazette reported that Mr Tinubu remained silent for over 24 hours after the incident, while Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican condemned the killings and prayed for the victims.

Condemning the attack on Benue communities, Amnesty International, in a statement on Saturday, said, “The horrifying killing of over 100 people by gunmen that invaded Yelewata from late Friday into the early hours of Saturday 14 June 2025, shows the security measures government claims to be implementing in the state are not working.”

It added, “The Nigerian authorities’ failure to stem the violence is costing people’s lives and livelihoods, and without immediate action, many more lives may be lost.”

Later on Sunday, Mr Tinubu, in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, “Described the killings and bloodletting as inhuman and anti-progress, calling on political leaders and community leaders in conflict areas to stop fuelling the crisis through unguarded utterances and statements that could further inflame tensions.”

While ordering security agencies to go after perpetrators of Benue killings, Mr Tinubu said, “Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.”