Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police Announces Arrest of 28 Suspects in Connection with Deadly Benue Massacre
Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has confirmed the arrest of 28 suspects linked to the recent massacre in Benue State’s Yelewata Local Government Area, which resulted in 47 deaths, 27 injuries, and hundreds displaced.
Despite this announcement, there seems to be a discrepancy in the reported number of arrests, with some sources stating 26 suspects were arrested.
Details of the Arrests
- 2 prime suspects were apprehended on June 19, 2025, from their hideout
- 7 other suspects were arrested on June 20, 2025, from various locations
- A key suspect, whose house was used for planning the attack, was arrested on June 21
- 18 other suspects directly involved in the killings were arrested on June 22, 2025
- 2 general-purpose machine guns were recovered on June 23
The police are still hunting for additional perpetrators, and investigations are ongoing.
The state Commissioner of Police, Emenari Ifeanyi, attributed the success of the arrests to the support of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
He also urged landlords and hotel owners to profile their tenants and clients to prevent the presence of terrorists in Benue.
