The recent bloody massacre of 61 persons and burning of over 200 houses in some communities in Apa and Gwer West local government areas of Benue State by rampaging killer herdsmen is highly condemnable. Earlier, the Nigerian Catholic Diocesan Priests Association (NCDPA), Makurdi Diocese, had disclosed that no fewer than 50 persons had been killed and 15 church parishes shut down in the state following months of relentless attacks by armed herdsmen in the diocese.
Consequently, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, and top military officers swiftly moved to the state to assess the deteriorating situation. For some months now, Benue State has unfortunately become a huge killing range with the recurring massacre of innocent citizens of the state by killer herdsmen.
All security measures put in place to rein in the rapacious marauders appear not to be working. The governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, has blamed the ongoing bloodletting in the state on unnamed politicians in Abuja. Security agents have also blamed foreign herders for the chilling massacre in Benue State. Irrespective of who is responsible for the ongoing bloodbath in Benue, the federal government should urgently bring them to justice.
We believe that the recent strategic visit of COAS to the state will pragmatically address the worsening security situation in the state, which many regard as the food basket of the nation. There is no doubt that the continued siege in Benue State will jeopardize the nation’s food security and exacerbate hunger in the land.
The visit of the COAS to the troubled state is commendable. It is equally good that he has ordered more deployment of troops and logistics to the state to hunt down the armed groups terrorising the people of Benue State. He has visited affected villages and reassured residents of their safety and the resolve of the Nigerian Army to protect the lives and property of law-abiding citizens.
It is sad that the Benue mindless massacre has become intractable. The recurring killing of innocent Nigerians is traumatizing and blood-chilling. Unfortunately, Benue State has seemingly become the epicentre of terrorism and banditry in the last two years. It is also worrisome that the terrorists and bandits always operate unchallenged.
Beyond the memorable visit of the COAS to Benue State, Nigerians would want the troops to intensify the war against the killer herdsmen, terrorists and bandits that have made Benue State a bloody theater in recent times. They should take the war to the doorsteps and hideouts of the marauding herdsmen. This is a war the Nigerian military should have the upper hand. They have the capability to decimate the killer herders.
President Bola Tinubu must be decisive and resolute in combating insecurity and ensuring that Nigerians are safe in their country. Apart from waging war against the killer herdsmen, we believe that embracing the ranching culture by those involved in animal husbandry in the country will end the violence by killer herders in Benue and other parts of the country. Nigeria is one country in which cattle are allowed to roam the streets and roads and destroy farmers’ crops with careless abandon. We call for a change in the ugly narrative.
Benue State has the highest number of IDPs, and this testifies to the level of violence in the state leading to the displacement of indigenes in the state. Being the food basket of the nation, Benue State should be rescued from the current siege by killer herdsmen before it is too late. The recurring violence and growing insecurity in the state would inevitably affect farmers and the availability of agricultural products. In recent times, prices of food items and other agricultural products have skyrocketed because farmers in the state cannot access their farms. Even those who managed to access their farms could not move their products to the cities.
Let the visit of the COAS to Benue State lead to improved security in the state. The narrative that the clash is between herders and bandits can no longer be sustained. The government should be intentional in their efforts to restore peace in Benue State. The government should not fail in its onerous duty of protecting the lives and properties of its citizens.
It is the primary duty of the government as enshrined in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution. Bearing this in mind, we expect that the federal government and the armed forces should rise to the occasion and restore peace and safety across the country, especially in Benue State, which is the hot spot at the moment.