Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that troops were present in the town of Yelwata, Benue State, on Friday, June 13, 2025, but they were reportedly misled into departing the area due to a false terror alert originating from a neighboring community.
The defence chief spoke at a press briefing in Nigeria’s capital city, Abuja, on Thursday, saying “On the issue of intelligence, yes, intelligence is coming.
“Because of the insider information, that actual day that it happened, the troops were there. There was a fake attack in another village. When the troops moved in, that was when they came in to attack this other town.
“That’s what happens because there are people telling them (attackers), ‘Okay, the troops are here, the troops are there’.
“I can tell you consistently if troops are moving for an operation, there are people who are monitoring them, telling them three vehicles, this number of soldiers, this number of this, this is what they are doing. These people are giving them information. People take food to them. People take even women to give them. That’s to tell you how bad it is and how sad the situation is.
“So, that’s why we want to preach the aspect of good governance. We believe that if there’s good governance and people have a sense of belonging, most of these issues will go down if we address them properly.”
Last Friday, numerous residents of Yelwata were killed, and over 3,000 individuals were displaced as a result of an overnight attack attributed to suspected herdsmen.
Official government reports indicate that 59 individuals lost their lives; however, civil rights organizations estimate that the death toll may be closer to 200.
