BOMBSHELL! Leaked Memo Shows DSS Warned Army of Planned Benue, Nasarawa Attacks Before Massacre

A leaked security memo has revealed that Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) warned the military about impending attacks on communities in Benue and Nasarawa States weeks before gunmen massacred over 200 people in Guma Local Government Area of Benue.
According to the document dated May 13, the DSS alerted Moses Gara, commander of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), that suspected Fulani militias were planning coordinated attacks on Tiv settlements and other communities, allegedly to avenge the seizure of cows by the Nasarawa State government.
Operation Whirl Stroke, launched by the Defence Headquarters in 2018, is a joint task force comprising the military, police, and DSS, created to tackle security threats in Benue and neighboring states.

Despite the DSS warning, gunmen stormed Yelewata and Daudu in Guma LGA on June 13, killing over 200 people, including internally displaced persons (IDPs) and local farmers. Yelewata was one of the areas specifically mentioned in the DSS alert.
The leaked memo listed other targeted communities including Mararaba, Jangargari, Gidan Antonny, Vandikya, Dooga, Kaambe, and parts of Makurdi, Gwer West, Gwer East, and Agatu. It stated that the militias were gathering in forests across Doma and Keana LGAs in Nasarawa in preparation for the offensive.

Following the warning, OPWS commander Moses Gara reportedly held a high-level meeting with leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association (MACBAN) in May to address rising insecurity, including farmer-herder clashes and cattle rustling.
After the June 13 massacre, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, disclosed that troops were misled by false intelligence. He said the attackers lured security forces away with a fake alert in another village, then launched the deadly assault on Yelewata.
Efforts by journalists to get official comments from Defence spokespersons were unsuccessful. Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, did not respond to calls, while Army Public Relations Director Onyinyechi Anele referred inquiries to the OPWS commander.