In a bid to end the ongoing violence that has claimed numerous lives and razed homes in multiple communities, President Bola Tinubu is set to meet with stakeholders in Benue State today (Wednesday) to hear their concerns directly.

More than 200 people, including women and children, were reportedly massacred within a few hours on Friday night in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area. The assailants were said to have used advanced weapons and fuel to burn homes.

Reacting to the carnage, the State House of Assembly passed a resolution on Tuesday, declaring that Governor Hyacinth Alia, his deputy Sam Ode, and the entire 32-member legislature had failed the people.

At the same time, the Peoples Democratic Party and the Coalition of United Political Parties urged President Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Benue.

The African Democratic Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party criticized the President for placing political interests above human lives, calling for immediate reforms to the country’s security apparatus to better protect citizens.

Also, the United Nations firmly condemned the recent attacks and called for a comprehensive investigation into the incidents.

Responding through the state Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mathew Abo, the governor stated that his administration fully supported the security agencies, insisting that he had not neglected his duty to protect the people.

Attacks by unidentified gunmen in the state have resulted in the tragic loss of lives and mass displacement over the years, sparking widespread outrage and concerns.

In response to the latest killings, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, visited Makurdi and Yelewata on Monday to lead a coordinated security operation aimed at tracking down the perpetrators.

In a statement on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, disclosed that the President was scheduled to meet with key stakeholders in Benue State today.

“The President’s visit aims to assess firsthand the recurring crisis that has claimed numerous lives and caused significant destruction,” Onanuga stated.

During his stay, Tinubu will meet with all stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political, religious, community leaders, and youth groups, to seek lasting solutions to the hostilities.

“In preparation for the visit, President Tinubu has already dispatched the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Inspector General of Police, heads of intelligence agencies, the National Security Adviser, and the Chairmen of the Senate and House Defence Committees to Benue State.

“The President is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit,” the statement read.

Tinubu had condemned the ongoing violence in Benue State and called on all leaders and residents to embrace peace, love, and mutual understanding.

Ahead of the President’s visit, the Secretary to the GF, Senator George Akume, convened a consultative meeting with stakeholders.

The President’s Special Adviser on Public Communication and Orientation, Sunday Dare, who revealed this via his verified X account on Tuesday, disclosed that retired generals, serving and retired politicians, participated in the meeting.

He stated,” Presently in Yelwata village, one of the villages attacked recently in Benue ahead of the visit of President Bola Tinubu tomorrow. The people gathered dejectedly to hear from their leaders & lawmakers from Abuja. The conversation and consultation were led by the SGF, George Akume.

“League of Retired Generals from Benue State, 18 months ago, handed a Security Brief to Governor Hyacinth Alia. This is the time to dust up that document as President Tinubu charges all stakeholders in Benue to find a lasting solution to the incessant farmers-herders clash.

“Makurdi, Benue State, is gradually filling up ahead of President Bola Tinubu’s Wednesday visit. Retired Generals, Serving and Retired Politicians, former and Serving Ministers, serving and former federal lawmakers, notables, community leaders, businessmen of Benue origin, academics, civil society leaders, youth leaders, APC leaders and other party leaders are on ground, political appointees also.

“This time, a renewed commitment to stopping the bloodletting and finding a lasting solution seems on hand. They have come around because they also believe that President Tinubu will engage and ensure that peace returns.”

During Tuesday’s sitting, members of the Benue State House of Assembly openly admitted that the governor, his deputy, Sam Ode, and even the lawmakers themselves had not lived up to the expectations of the people, especially in light of the killings in the state.

In an emotional debate sparked by a motion of urgent public importance raised by Peter Uche, who represents Guma State Constituency, many lawmakers expressed deep concern and agreed that all elected officials in the state have failed to protect their communities from the relentless attacks by armed Fulani herdsmen.

The first to speak on the matter was Thomas Dugeri, who represents Kwande West State Constituency.

While addressing his colleagues on the floor of the House, he passionately reminded them that the core purpose of any government is to safeguard the lives and property of its people.

He said, “The Constitution of Nigeria provides that the essence of government is the protection of lives and property. We are 34 that are elected people in the state, the governor, deputy governor and 32 of us as lawmakers; we have all failed our people.

“The governor has failed, the deputy governor has failed, and the 32 of us have failed. The time has come when we have to wake up and live up to our responsibilities.’’

Other lawmakers who spoke in the same vein include Terna Shimawua, the majority leader, Saater Tiseer and others, who fumed at the killings in Yelwata, describing it as genocide.

They decried the non-funding of the third tiers of government as one of the reasons for the escalating insecurity.

The minority leader, Michael Audu, decried the situation where funds meant for local government are not given to them.

He said, “The funds of local government should go back to them, let them start using it, the house of assembly will ensure judicious use of the funds, and if they fail to ensure adequate security, we will hold them.”

Supporting this, Peter Puusu said the problem happening is a result of the local government not being autonomous.

“There is no local government system in Benue again,” he stated.

They unanimously urged the full enforcement of the state’s anti-open grazing law.

Following the debate, the House reached several resolutions, including a call on the state government to observe three days of mourning—from Wednesday, June 18 to Friday, June 20, 2025—in honour of the lives lost in the Yelewata attack and other parts of Benue State.

They resolved as follows: “That the House condemns in very strong terms the coordinated invasion, massacre, genocide and acts of terrorism against the people of Yelewata and elsewhere in Benue State by the marauding Fulani herdsmen militia only comparable to the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 and the holocaust against the European Jews during World War II.

“That the House observes a one-minute silence in honour of the innocent lives killed in Yelewata and anywhere in Benue State.

“That the State Emergency Management Agency should, as a matter of urgency, provide shelter and relief materials to the victims of the attack in Yelewata to ease their pain.

“That the House request the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to, in line with section 218 (1) — (3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, expedite action in ending the killings in Benue State. This will give the Benue People a sense of belonging and enable them to go back to their farms without fear.

“That the House request the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia to use the resources at his disposal to mobilise the Benue State Civil Protection Guards w complement the conventional security agencies to end the killings of innocent citizens in the state.

“That the Benue State Government and all security formations in the State should ensure full implementation of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches (Establishment) Law, 2017, as amended.

“That the Governor of Benue State should lead a high-powered delegation of prominent Benue indigenes to the President to explain the real reasons behind the ongoing killings in the state, to change the false narratives of the herders/farmers crisis being peddled in sections of the media with the view to finding a lasting.”

They further urged President Tinubu to personally visit Benue State to show solidarity with the victims of the attacks, demonstrating leadership grounded in empathy, compassion, and respect for human life, as is common in other parts of the world during times of crisis.

To honour those killed in Yelwata, the lawmakers all wore black attire as a symbol of mourning.

In response to the lawmakers, the Benue State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mathew Abo, said the governor did not neglected his duty to protect the people.

He explained that the governor has made consistent efforts to bring security chiefs and other key stakeholders to the state.

The commissioner said, “Well, the governor has not failed in providing security to the people in the state, the coming of security chiefs and the visit of the president are all part of government efforts.

“He has also tried his best to provide logistics to security operatives in the state, so he has not failed, and you don’t expect him to carry guns and go to the bush.’’

In preparation for President Tinubu’s visit to Benue State, the state government deployed earth-moving machines to repair key roads expected to be used by the presidential convoy.

Several roads, including the Kashim Ibrahim Road, which leads to the Government House, were being patched on Tuesday morning.

There is also a noticeable influx of security personnel and top government officials into the state capital, with most hotels fully booked.

Meanwhile, the PDP National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, and CUPP National Publicity Secretary Mark Adebayo have both called for a state of emergency to be declared in Benue State.

Osadolor stated, “I would like to go back to the tweets of the then Senator Bola Tinubu in 2014, when he said the buck stops at the table of the head of state as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. If terrorist attacks or banditry continue for more than a certain period, it becomes abnormal. He was saying that as an opposition figure.

“Today, he is the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces. And what that means is that—let me quote him—he said, on matters of security, the buck stops at the president’s table.

“He said so many things. But the truth now is that in Rivers State, no soul was lost, yet he declared a state of emergency. He found it convenient to declare a state of emergency after an alleged court judgment, claiming democracy was on trial in Rivers State. But in the valleys of Benue, that’s not the case. That’s not the case.”

Osadolor questioned the President’s decision to declare a state of emergency in Rivers State while ignoring Benue State, despite the high number of killings there.

The party chieftain stated, “Unless Mr. President has a hand in whatever is happening in Benue, I don’t see any reason why he has found it convenient not to speak, not to visit, or not to act.

“He has failed woefully. This is not about economic reforms or economic relief. This is about the survival of Nigerian people. I can tell you that like in Benue, a lot is going on in Niger State too. These two states are the hotbeds of mass killings.

“The president knows this. So, what is stopping him from declaring a state of emergency in these two states? If not both, at least in Benue, which has brought total tragedy to global attention.

“So, the best way to prevent further loss of lives is for him to either completely overhaul the security architecture around him and declare a state of emergency, or resign.”

The CUPP spokesperson expressed concern that for more than a decade, armed attackers have continuously inflicted severe and unprecedented violence on the people of Benue State.

Speaking further, he noted, “It seems the Federal Government is behaving as if Benue State is not part of Nigeria. It boils down to incompetence on the part of the government and compromise on the part of the security agencies.

“I think a state of emergency will help in restoring order in Benue State, but this is the kind of condition that makes such a declaration necessary and justified. This is a condition the president shouldn’t even think twice about before declaring a state of emergency.

“The government of Benue State is afraid. The governor is asleep. He’s a big disappointment. People believed he was going to do things differently. He’s doing nothing. He is probably the worst governor Benue has ever had. He should not be in power or government.’’

Adebayo described it as unfortunate that Nigeria is showing strong signs of state failure under Tinubu.

“Not declaring a state of emergency in Benue State at this point is pure hypocrisy. Whatever it may achieve, let’s first put a soldier in charge in Benue State and move from there. But there must also be political will to run these terrorists out of town,’’ he added.

But the PDP in Benue State opposed the call for emergency declaration in the state, suggesting instead that more boots be deployed on the ground.

In the same vein, the caretaker committee of the All Progressive Congress i described the call for state of emergency as a ‘pure mischievous call.

The party spokesman, James Onguga said that the issue of insecurity in the state had been going on for many years.

He said, “It’s a pure mischievous call, this insecurity is not only in Benue State, but is something that happens in most states in the North Central. The situation in Borno is worse than this, and there is no call for emergency rule; people are just politicising the whole issue.

The Benue PDP spokesman, Tim Nyior, said the party doesn’t subscribe to a state of emergency.

He said, “As a democratic party, we don’t subscribe to total removal of democratic structures in the state like what is happening in Rivers state, but the former president Jonathan’s style in Borno and Yobe states, where more troops were deployed to the state to combat terrorists.’’

The NNPP Publicity Secretary, Oladipo Johnson, called on the President and security agencies to take proactive measures to secure the state.

He stated, “There is a need for the President and security agencies to be proactive, and we need to stop reacting to these things.

“We know there’s a problem. The security forces must think outside the box, and the government must make sure that we are on top of the situation and but ahead of it.”

The ADC National Chairman, Ralph Nwosu, on his part, accused President Tinubu of turning the security of lives and property into a political issue.

Nwosu stated, “He plays politics with people’s lives, he plays politics with security, he plays politics with monetary policy, he plays politics with the domestic well-being of the Nigerian people, and he doesn’t give a hoot as to what happens to our lives.

“We play politics with everything. And all the politics is about being in power, exercising power, and bullying people. It’s since APC came into power.’’

In response to the security crisis, the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, has directed military commanders operating under Operation Whirl Stroke to intensify efforts in safeguarding lives and property in Benue State.

He also instructed them to foster closer collaboration with local communities to find lasting solutions to persistent insecurity.

A statement on Tuesday by the Director, Defence Information, Brig. Gen. Tukur Gusau said Musa gave the directive during a two-day operational and assessment visit to the state, following the recent deadly attack on Yelwata community in Guma Local Government Area.

“During the visit, the CDS also received an Operational briefing from the Operational commanders under Whirl Stroke at Headquarters, 401 Special Forces Brigade.

“He directed the commanders to ensure they protect the lives and properties of the law-abiding citizens and work with the local communities to find a lasting solution to these problems, “ the statement partly read.

The CDS toured the affected area and held an interactive session with community members, traditional rulers, and religious leaders.

“We must all agree that this must stop,” General Musa declared, urging the community to cooperate with the military and other security agencies to root out criminal elements threatening peace and stability,’’ he said.

On the second day of the visit, the CDS held a town hall meeting with stakeholders from Benue’s three geopolitical zones, including traditional rulers, youth leaders, and other key figures. He appealed for unity and trust-building between the armed forces and the people, stressing the importance of collective effort in addressing the security challenges.

At the 401 Special Forces Brigade Headquarters, General Musa received operational briefings from commanders under Operation Whirl Stroke.

He instructed them to be proactive in defending law-abiding citizens and to engage constructively with local communities in intelligence gathering and peace-building initiatives.

In a related development, the United Nations has strongly condemned the recent attacks in Benue State, North Central Nigeria, in which scores of civilians were reportedly killed.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, through his Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, described the killings as unacceptable and called for the perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice.

“We’re monitoring the situation. The Secretary-General condemns the killing of innocent civilians, including in Nigeria, and we hope that those responsible for this violence will be found and apprehended,” Haq said.

Credit: The Punch