The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, arrived in Benue State on Monday and ordered the immediate deployment of additional tactical teams to combat the surge of violent attacks by suspected armed herders.

The Nigeria Police Force, in a brief statement shared via X (formerly Twitter), confirmed the IGP’s arrival and the escalation of police response.

“IGP arrives Benue, orders for additional deployment of tactical teams,” the statement read.

This move comes amid growing national outrage following a two-day killing spree that left dozens dead and communities devastated. While the official death toll confirmed by The PUNCH stands at 45 in Guma Local Government Area, local leaders estimate the number could exceed 200, with reports of entire families burned alive and security personnel among the casualties.

The response from the federal government has been widely criticised as slow and inadequate, especially when compared to the swift intervention in Rivers State in March 2025, where a state of emergency was declared over a political crisis involving Governor Siminalayi Fubara, despite no recorded fatalities at the time.

Social media has been flooded with demands for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Benue, as many Nigerians lament what they see as a disturbing pattern of selective urgency by national leadership.

As pressure mounts, the IGP’s deployment of tactical teams may serve as an attempt to restore security and reassure citizens. However, activists and local communities are demanding more—a coordinated, multi-agency federal response, justice for the victims, and preventive action to avoid future bloodshed.