The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede has said that the Nigerian Army has been strategically positioned to tackle the growing menace of insecurity in Benue State.

Oloyede said the Army and its personnel will bring the perpetrators of the incessant killings in Benue, Plateau and other states to justice.

Speaking during the second quarter 2025 media chat organised by the Department of Civil-Military Affairs, Nigerian Army Headquarters, COAS said the military is committed to purging the nation of all forms of criminality.

Represented by Major General Obinna Onubogu, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 2 Division Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Oluyede said the president’s order on bringing sanity to Benue was very clear.

Highlighting efforts by the military to end violence in the North Central region of the country, COAS noted that they would engage the locals in the fight against criminality.

“We are out, fully deployed and tackling the menace head-on

“In Benue particularly, you will see in the coming weeks, very elaborate security arrangements to ensure that all that is going on there completely stops.

“Communities and local stakeholders should support military operations by sharing timely intelligence.

“The Army cannot be everywhere at once. Nigeria is a vast country but we are not as large in number as many people believe,” he said.

According to Oluyede, the military is relying heavily on the support and cooperation of the residents of the affected communities to engage the criminals.

“In some cases, unfortunately, the people are not very helpful in terms of the information they give out, which delays our reaction time. That must change if we are to win this fight together,” he said.

He further called on the media to ensure they support the military in its quest to end terrorism, banditry and kidnapping across the country.

“We are satisfied with the support we’ve received from the media so far and we hope to deepen that synergy to ensure national security is not undermined by sensational reporting,” the COAS said.