Benue killings: Tinubu’s visit, Alia’s weaknesses, and matters arising

Benue killings: Tinubu’s visit, Alia’s weaknesses, and matters arising

On Wednesday, June 18, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu finally visited Benue State where at least 200 people including children and women, were either slaughtered or burnt to death.

 The visit was in response to the renewed orgy of violence and bloodletting by marauders in the state known as the Food Basket of the Nation.

At Yelewata, Guma LGA of the state on that eerie Friday night, June 13, humanity was compromised as the killers yet to be identified or arrested stormed the sleepy agrarian community, and left in their trail blood, sorrow, pain and wailing.

Based on media reports, some of the people killed in the attack were internally displaced people who had fled to Yelewata from their communities due to insecurity, only to be brutally killed in the very place they had hoped would offer them safety.

The success of the brutal attacks is the latest reminder of how badly the government has failed to protect communities from violence. This is in spite of the fact that Section 14(2) of the Nigerian Constitution (specifically subsection 2) states that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government. The provision is part of the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, outlined in Chapter II of the Constitution.

Benue people, particularly the Tiv ethnic extraction, are known for their warm hospitality, vibrant culture, and strong sense of community. They are also known for their resilience, hard work, and agricultural contributions to the region. Before the devil relocated to the state, Benue used to be a major contributor to the food economy of the nation until ‘Nigeria started happening to the North Central state’.

But many observers insist, that the seeming security impasse in the state is a further reflection of the broad failure of the APC government. Yes, because, with her potential, many commentators wonder how the state has gradually become a theatre of violence, bloodletting, and literally a graveyard.

The incessant killings in the state are hardly news in Nigeria anymore. Many agree that in Benue, it is like one day, one trouble. Even die-hard optimists find the deteriorating security situation in the state very scary.

Today, only the leadership of the APC and few beneficiaries of the current administration still defend the state of affairs in the nation. But to many critical observers, the APC government and apologists either do not understand the severity of the situation or pretend not to know because of sundry pecuniary interests.

The Yelewata attack sparked protests on June 15, with calls for an end to the killings and for justice and accountability, but in the typical character of the Nigerian authorities, they dispersed the protesters, claiming they had been hijacked by those they described as violent instigators. Many observers agree that the attitude of both the federal and state governments to the carnage in Benue leaves much to be desired.

During his visit, though President Tinubu underscored the importance of peace for sustainable development, he did not take full responsibility as the chief security officer of the nation. The president rather implored Governor Alia to ensure Benue is peaceful, adding that the circumstances of his visit this time should not have been a reason to come to the state.

“I wanted to come here to commission projects, to reassure you of hope and prosperity, not to see gloomy faces. But peace is vital to development. The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people”, he stressed.

He charged Governor Alia to work with the federal government to restore peace.

But not a few insist that his visit to Benue was more like an afterthought and a mere formality. He was reported to have reacted to the carnage in Benue about 48 hours after it happened, hence the perception that he did not show enough empathy for the victims of the Yelwatta killings, and merely went to the embattled state due to criticisms of his perceived indifference to the situation.

The incident also reinforced the negative perception trailing the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State just because of a mere political crisis. Many observers could not reconcile the obvious inaction of the President in Benue despite massive casualties recorded. The attitude from the federal government, in the estimation of critical observers is a prioritisation of “political control over human lives”.

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) criticised the federal government for not showing enough empathy, describing the attitude of the President Tinubu administration as “lukewarm,” “insensitive,” and lacking “basic human empathy.”

In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, decried the mass killing in Yelewata community, Guma Local Government Area, allegedly perpetrated by Fulani herdsmen.

A civic advocacy group, Citizen Monitors, also criticised President Tinubu’s response to the massacre in Benue.

In a statement on Tuesday, the group described the President’s remarks as lacking empathy, urgency, and accountability in the face of a national tragedy.

The group, in the statement signed by its spokesperson and Head of Communications for Citizen Monitors, Olajumoke Alawode-James, said, “The nation expected moral clarity and urgent action. Instead, we received a generic statement marked by false equivalence, political deflection, and a dangerous lack of empathy.”

The President’s call for security agencies to act “on all sides” of what he described as a conflict drew the ire of the group, which accused the federal government of mischaracterising the situation and shirking its duty to protect vulnerable citizens.

They further criticised Tinubu’s appeal for restraint among political and community leaders, saying it diverted attention from what they described as years of federal inaction and unchecked violence.

“Leadership must begin with truth. And the truth is that this massacre happened on the government’s watch. If the current leadership cannot acknowledge that — or take swift, unambiguous action — then it is time for that leadership to step aside.”

Head of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of the Vatican City State, Pope Leo XIV, many argue, was more prompt in his show of empathy for the people of Benue.

The new pope who declared ‘enough is enough,’ called for the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators.

He referred to the attacks in Benue as a “terrible massacre,” noting that around 200 people were killed with “extreme cruelty.”

 Thereafter, he prayed “that security, justice, and peace will prevail in Nigeria, a beloved country so affected by various forms of violence.”

He made the remarks before the Angelus prayer at St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, and described the violence, believed to have been carried out by armed herdsmen, as particularly devastating, noting that most of the victims were internally displaced persons sheltered by a local Catholic mission in Yelwata, Guma Local Council.

Expressing deep concern for Nigeria, he prayed for peace and security in the country while highlighting the vulnerability of rural Christian communities in Benue.

 

ALIA’S POLITICS  AND WEAKNESSES

For some political observers, the crisis within Benue State is not completely unconnected with the disagreement between Governor Hyacinth Alia and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

The conflict in reference by some observers began after the 2023 governorship election, which Alia won by a significant margin. The crisis had pit Alia’s supporters against those who consider themselves the owners of the APC in Benue led by Senator Akume.

Whereas the masses accuse the stakeholders of attempting to plunder state resources, they (stakeholders) insist that the governor must govern according to the APC Constitution and give party loyalists a sense of belonging.

Some critical observers argue that Alia’s refusal to acquiesce and his reliance on non-APC members have fuelled tension and may be part of what is happening in Benue today.

Some commentators believe that the party’s inability to manage victory has been a major concern among APC stakeholders in the state, with many citing the 2027 general election as the underlying reason for renewed tension in the state.

But not a few including political observers within and outside the state insist that the latest incident in Benue has exposed the weaknesses of the state governor, Hyacinth Alia. The Catholic cleric cum politician has not shown leadership, and did not seem to be on top of the situation as he appeared helpless and incapable of leading the state at this critical time.

Many observers continue to wonder how the soft-spoken Reverend Father emerged from the murky waters of the Nigerian politics to assume the position of leadership at that level.

Not a few insist that so far, the governor has shown neither capacity nor confidence to lead a state like Benue. Each time he spoke on the crises, he did not seem to fully understand the dynamics of the situation in the state he governs. From his utterances, he appears to believe that what is happening in his state is being fuelled by politicians even when it is obvious that there is more to the situation in the agrarian state.

The Benue State House of Assembly were more forthright in their approach to the latest killings in Benue. Outraged by the bloodshed, the legislative arm, in a resolution had asserted that Governor Hyacinth Alia, his deputy, Sam Ode, and all the 32 lawmakers had let the people down.

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

But the contention is that each step the governor took in the course of the carnage in Benue was wrong and the optics of his actions did not portray him as a man with capacity to lead the beleaguered state. Governor Alia even worsened the negative perception trailing his administration in the manner he handled Tinubu’s visit. Rather than package the visit as that of mourning, he literally rolled out the Red Carpet for the President.

In an irritating show of

loyalty, school children in the Benue State capital, Makurdi, were made to line major roads to welcome President Tinubu, despite the declaration of a public holiday in the state, and a heavy downpour that left the innocent kids drenched and shivering under unfriendly weather conditions.

The students, drawn from both primary and secondary schools, said they were directed by school authorities to gather along the streets, hours before the president’s motorcade passed through Makurdi.

The pupils and students were reportedly instructed to line the streets to welcome the President, even as the state government declared Wednesday a public holiday.

Despite the poor weather, with cars splashing water on some of the school children, they were stuck in a spot to greet the president’s entourage.

It was gathered that many of the students stood in the rain without adequate cover, as cars passed by, splashing water on them.

Many observers were irritated by the colourful reception accorded the President at a time when every Benue indigene was in a sombre and sorrowful mood.

The governor’s attitude during President Tinubu’s visit portrayed him as insensitive to the plight and mood of his people.

 

ANY END IN SIGHT?

Benue is among Nigeria’s North Central states plagued by recurring intercommunal violence, largely driven by longstanding tensions between nomadic herders and mostly sedentary farming communities over access to and control of land, water, and other natural resources.

Realistically, there does not seem to be an end in sight to the intractable crises in

the state because, rather than lessen, the crises in Benue appear to be increasing as the years go by.

Both the state and national governments have tried various policies over the years, but none has so far proved successful yet.

The situation is compounded by the lack of proper definition of the crisis. There are many interests and various interpretations to the agelong conflict. The conflict has thrown up a lot of conspiracy theories. Some commentators say it is fuelled by the Fulani ethnic extraction’s quest to take over people’s land. Others believe it is part of an expansionist agenda of Uthman Dan Fodio and a subtle execution of Jihad to Islamise the state. But the most familiar narrative is that it is a conflict between herders and farmers.

Before now, the belief was that herders, mostly from the Fulani ethnic group, moved around to find food for their cattle, bringing them into conflict with the owners of farms, who say the cattle trample their crops and pollute water sources.

Some of them, it is alleged, are armed with powerful guns which they claim to be using to protect themselves from cattle thieves.

But while the farmers often blame the Fulani for the violence, one of the community’s leaders, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, was quoted as saying that his people were not behind the killings in Benue.

“Our people are not behind the Benue killings, we know there are some unresolved issues in Benue which have been there for some time.

“But we have never allowed any of our people to attack or kill others”, he said.

But James Ayatse, Tor Tiv, the supreme traditional ruler of the Tiv ethnic bloc, who are mostly farmers, told President Tinubu during his visit that the killings were part of planned attacks orchestrated to take over their land.

He told President Tinubu that the killings in Benue State are not clashes between herders and farmers, but a planned attack aimed at taking over land.

Speaking at a meeting with Tinubu and stakeholders in Benue on Wednesday, the traditional ruler said many people had misunderstood the crisis and wrongly advised Benue citizens to stay calm and live peacefully with their neighbours.

Ayatse said, “We do have grave concerns about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State.

“Your Excellency, it’s not herders-farmers clashes, it’s not communal clashes, it’s not reprisal attacks or skirmishes, it’s a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign that has lasted for decades.”

Former Benue South senatorial candidate of the APC, Comrade Daniel Onjeh also expressed concerns over the tragic massacre in Yelwata.

Onjeh condemned the attack and consoled the families and communities affected by the heinous crime, calling it a national emergency that demands urgent and holistic action.

He emphasised that the Yelwata killings should not be mistaken for the often-cited farmers-herders conflict, asserting that such a narrative is now outdated and misleading.

“Do farmers still cultivate the soil in this era of unpredictable violence and mayhem? And do we still see genuine herders grazing in Benue?”, Onjeh asked.

He added that the children killed in the massacre were students, not farmers, and they were murdered in their rooms, not on the farm, slugging it out with herders.

According to him, the people of Benue have long been displaced from their farmlands, and many herders have equally fled or ceased operations in the state due to the state government’s enforcement of its Anti-Open Grazing Law.

“Most of the cows you see around now,” he explained, “are for some sacred Benue Senior citizens who are flagrantly violating the Anti-Open grazing law.”

Therefore, he argued, there is no longer a basis for the continued framing of the conflict as one between herders and farmers.

 

THE WAY FORWARD

The authorities are reluctant to blame any group but it is safe to assume that there are lots of victims on both sides, as any attack usually leads to revenge and then a cycle of violence.

But many critical observers believe the government needs to “deploy more tactical and intelligence-based special forces to Benue State, ensuring their presence is sustained and adaptable to growing threats.

There are those who think that government should hasten to encourage ranching for the herders like in developed countries so they don’t come into conflict with farmers.

The government also should urgently strengthen security in vulnerable communities in Benue. Human Rights Watch recommended that the steps should ensure collaboration with members of affected communities to establish an effective rapid security response system to prevent further violence and protect lives and properties.