The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said it is greatly disturbed by the resurgence of yet another tragic episode of violence, leading to the gruesome death of scores of persons and injuries to many, including women, children, and the elderly, in Yelwata Community of Benue State.
In a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of ACF, Professor Muhammad Tukur Baba, and made available to newsmen, the Forum condoled with members of the Yelwata Community, the government and people of Benue State, and indeed Nigeria as a whole.
The statement remarked, “We pray for the repose of the souls of the dead, commiserate with the injured, and wish them quick recovery.
“ACF categorically and unequivocally condemns the senseless killings that continue to escalate for far too long, every time with tragic consequences, and potent threats to our shared destiny in Arewa and indeed in Nigeria.”
It lamented that, “The gruesome incident at Yelwata is only the latest in a cascading series of catastrophic violence between farmers and herders, which dishearteningly seems to defy solutions, including decisive action by the Federal Government-controlled security agencies.
“That the Yelwata tragedy would take place within days of the COAS’s relocation clearly illustrates that the prevailing curtailment strategy must therefore be reviewed to frontally confront the discomfiting regime of terrorism, insurgencies, banditry, communal conflicts, etc., however labelled.
“Proactive measures, including vigilance and improved intelligence gathering, must be the crucial ingredients of new curtailment strategies against the recurring cycle of senseless violence.”
ACF called on citizens of Benue and other violence-prone states to commit to rejecting hate narratives, fear, and anger, and to replace these with empathy and understanding, cooperation, and reconciliation.
The Forum also called for the immediate provision of adequate relief materials to the Yelwata and other affected communities by the Federal and Benue State Governments.
The statement commended the efforts of Governor Alia of Benue State, who has been visibly trying to fashion a new approach to finding lasting peace in the state — refreshingly, through inclusive peace-building efforts to unearth the underlying causes of the cycle of violence.
In doing so, it stated, impunity must not be allowed to hold sway; all those found culpable must be brought to justice.
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