KOREDE DAMIFOGO
President Bola Tinubu has urged security agencies to go after perpetrators of the heinous crime in Yelewata Benue state, saying the value of human life is greater than that of a cow.
President Tinubu gave the marching orders to security chiefs while speaking during his one-day visit to the state for a first-hand information on the situation, said the killers of 147 people in Yelewata must be apprehended and peace returns to the troubled communities.
The President who also visited victims of the weekend’s attack in the hospital put security chiefs on the spot and asked why none of the criminals on the rampage in Benue State had been arrested, in spite of the extensive dastardly act.
He challenged them to do more and end the killing spree in the state.
The Yelewata attack was the most recent in the spate of attacks on different communities in the state in which no fewer than 500 people had been killed since the beginning of this year.
Speaking during the stakeholders meeting at the Government House in Makurdi, the state capital, the President turned to Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and asked: “How come no one has been arrested for committing this heinous crime in Yelewata? Inspector General of Police, where are the arrests? The criminals must be arrested immediately.”
President Tinubu also directed the DSS and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to intensify surveillance, gather actionable intelligence and collaborate with local communities to apprehend the perpetrators.
At the meeting were security chiefs, Benue political leaders and top traditional rulers.
Also at the meeting were the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Governors AbdulRaheem AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), Usman Ododo (Kogi), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), and Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa),
The Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, told the President that Benue is facing a calculated genocidal herder-terrorist invasion, urging him to act with speed to save the hapless communities.
He said the bandits were on land grabbing expedition in Benue as they are doing in Plateau State.
Governor Hyacinth Alia, who renewed his call for state police, also requested a special intervention fund from the Federal Government to tackle rising humanitarian crisis.
President said: “Let us meet again in Abuja. Let’s fashion out a framework for lasting peace. I am ready to invest in that peace. I assure you, we will find peace. We will convert this tragedy into prosperity.
“I wanted to come here to commission projects, to reassure you of hope and prosperity,—not to see gloomy faces. But peace is vital for development. The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people.
“Governor Alia, you were elected under the progressive banner to ensure peace, stability, and progress. You are not elected to bury people or comfort widows and orphans. We will work with you to achieve that peace. You must also work with us.
“Not everyone will like you in politics. They hate me, too—like hell. But here I am, still your President. I made a promise to protect democracy, freedom, and prosperity, even for my abusers and accusers. That’s leadership.”
We Need Intervention Fund, State Police – Alia
Alia thanked the President for the visit, urging him to create a Special Federal Intervention Fund to aid communities ravaged by repeated attacks.
He said the fund would assist the victims to rebuild their lives and restore the infrastructures that were destroyed.
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Fr. Alia said: “While we continue to mourn our losses and rebuild from the ashes of pain, we humbly urge the Federal Government to consider establishing a special intervention fund for communities affected by these incessant attacks in Benue.
“While I acknowledge the concerns surrounding its implementation, I believe the Federal Government can address these by setting clear state-specific guidelines and regulatory frameworks to prevent any potential misuse.”
The governor reaffirmed his support for the establishment of state police as a long-term solution to insecurity.
He also reiterated his commitment to building a peaceful and prosperous Benue.
Tor Tiv: It Is Land Grabbing Expedition
The Chairman of the Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers and the Paramount ruler of the Tiv, the majority tribe in the state, Prof. Ayatse, praised President Tinubu for visiting the victims.
He also thanked him for the inclusion of Benue indigenes in his administration, particularly Akume and Minister of Water Resources, Prof. Joseph Utsev.
However, the monarch said mischaracterising the violence as “herder-farmer clashes” or “communal disputes” only masked the true nature of the conflict.
He said: “We do have grave concerns about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State. Your Excellency, it’s not headers-farmers clashes; it’s not communal clashes; it’s not reprisal attacks or skirmishes. It is this misinformation that has led to suggestions such as ‘remain tolerant, negotiate for peace, learn to live with your neighbours’.
“What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land grabbing campaign by herder terrorists and bandits, which has been going on for decades and is worsening every year.
“Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment. So, we are dealing with something far more sinister than we think about. It’s not learning to live with your neighbors; it is dealing with the war.”
The Tor Tiv said the Tiv people in Nasarawa State were suffering the same fate, pointing out that they too had been chased away from their ancestral homes in some local governments.
Prof. Ayatse said Tiv lands have been taken from them by those who now label them as settlers.
He stressed: “They have been in Nasarawa State before the 18th century. They cannot be settlers. They need to go back to their ancestral homes to continue with their lives.”
The monarch said the political manipulation of the crisis has worsened the situation.
He said: “We hear that some politicians would even prefer that the crisis worsens, so it would serve as a basis for declaring a state of emergency. This is unfortunate.”
Prof. Ayatse said if the President could halt the Kaiama crisis in Kwara State, he has the capacity to end the turmoil in Benue.
He appealed to President Tinubu to act decisively, noting that Benue had made immense sacrifices for national unity.
The Tor Tiv said: “Your Excellency, Benue State has made a lot of sacrifices to keep this country united. Many of our people died during the civil war. We paid the supreme price to keep this country united. Why should we be treated like this?
“What you have come to condole today is just one in a series of several massacres in the state. What has Benue State done to merit what we are going through?
“We appeal to you to end the genocide going on in Benue State and the insecurity in all parts of Nigeria. We know you are capable of doing it, sir. You can give us peace in Benue State.”
He added: “Our farmers have been chased out of their farms. There is hunger; there is a food insecurity challenge. All we ask is: give us peace, so that our people can go back to their farms and continue to produce food.”
Urging the President to save Benue from extinction, Prof. Ayatse said: “All we ask of you, sir, is to stop our weeping. Give us peace in Benue State, so our people, primarily farmers, can return to their farms and continue to produce food for Nigeria.”