The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. Gen. Olufemi Oluyede has attributed the wave of violent killings in Benue to ‘foreign mercenaries’, suggesting the attackers are not Nigerians.

Oluyede stated this on Saturday while declaring open the Nigerian Army Civil-Military Cooperation quarterly media chat, holding in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

The theme of the ongoing event is: Military- media collaboration: Panacea for enhanced national security and development.

Represented by the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 2 Division Nigerian Army, Ibadan, Major General Obinna Onubogu, Oluyede said the attackers differ significantly in a behaviour that is ‘utterly despicable.’

He emphasised that the activities of the armed groups, who have carried out bloodletting and rendered several families homeless, do not reflect the country’s national identity and value system.

“We are mindful that some of these people may be foreign elements. The behaviour we are seeing is utterly despicable, the way they go about their work. It does not reflect any kind of national identity or value system,” the Chief of Army Staff said.

While condemning the attack, Oluyede said that the military was committed to ending the spate of violence in the nation’s territorial integrity from both external and internal aggressors.

According to him, the military was already strategising with the move to smoke out the attackers from their hidden places and make them face the consequences of their actions.

“The Nigerian Army has remained engaged in Plateau, in Benue, in Kwara — in quite a number of states that are experiencing insecurity.

“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. We shall go after them, and by God’s grace, we will get them.”

The Chief of Army Staff noted that the military has received clear directives from President Bola Tinubu to act decisively on the marauders, stressing that personnel are now on the ground to address the escalating security crisis.

“The President has given very clear orders for us to go out there. And so we are out — fully deployed — and tackling the menace head-on,” he said

He appealed to communities and local stakeholders to support military operations by sharing timely intelligence:

“The Army cannot be everywhere at once. Nigeria is a vast country, and we are not as large in number as many people believe. We rely heavily on the support and cooperation of the local population to provide timely and credible information.”

“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.”

At least 200 people, including Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and security personnel were killed in a fresh coordinated attack by suspected armed groups in Yelewata and Daudu communities of Guma LGA in Benue last week.