- DSS arraigns nine over recent mass killings in Benue and Plateau.
- Over 200 people, including IDPs and farmers, killed in June attacks.
- President Tinubu criticises police for delay in arresting perpetrators.
The Department of State Services (DSS) has brought nine individuals before a Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged roles in the recent deadly attacks in Benue and Plateau states.
The suspects were arraigned on Wednesday following a series of violent attacks that have left hundreds dead and thousands displaced in both states.
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Communities in Guma LGA of Benue and parts of Plateau have been repeatedly targeted by armed groups, with the most recent onslaught claiming over 200 lives, including farmers and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, had earlier revealed that 28 suspects were arrested in connection with the massacre in Yelewata LGA, Benue State, during a briefing on June 24.
The attacks, which occurred on June 13 in Yelewata and Daudu communities, triggered national outrage and raised concerns about worsening insecurity in the region.
President Bola Tinubu, during a stakeholders’ meeting held shortly after the incidents, expressed displeasure with the handling of the situation.
He reportedly criticised the IGP over what he described as the police’s inability to promptly apprehend those responsible for the killings.
“You can’t allow these kinds of attacks to go unanswered. If those behind it are not arrested immediately, we are sending the wrong signal,” the president was quoted as saying during the meeting.
The DSS’s arraignment of the nine suspects comes amid mounting pressure on security agencies to deliver justice and restore peace to the affected communities.
