Benue killings: Group demands justice for victims

… says Tinubu’s visit, politically motivated

The Unified Nigeria Youth Forum (UNYF) has demanded immediate justice for victims of last week’s massacre at Yelewata village, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where over 200 lives were brutally cut short.

The group, in a press statement issued today by its president, Comrade Toriah Olajide Filani, made available to Tribune Online in Abuja, also called for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, describing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s condolence visit to the state as hollow and politically motivated.

The UNYF president condemned what it termed a bureaucratic routine and cosmetic response to a situation akin to civil warfare, noting that Tinubu’s visit failed to address the enormity of the humanitarian crisis on the ground and lacked any tangible commitment to security or relief intervention.

According to Filani, the killings in Benue reportedly claimed over 360 lives and displaced more than 6,500 persons in the past month alone, adding that the development demanded a coordinated military response and political will, not ceremonial visits.

The UNYF asserted that Benue does not need presidential optics but decisive leadership and swift security interventions.

While calling for Justice for victims, the group further demanded the immediate resignation or sack of all service chiefs, the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) for what it described as “a gross failure of leadership and dereliction of constitutional duty”.

It argued that in line with global best democratic practices, public officials under whose watch such mass killings occur must take responsibility and vacate office.

Citing Chapter Two, Sections 2 and 3 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, UNYF urged President Tinubu to consider voluntary resignation.

While maintaining that sovereignty belongs to the people, the group stated that the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government as mandated by the constitution.

The Forum stated that the continuous slaughtering of Nigerians under the President’s watch is a breach of this constitutional mandate.

The UNYF, however, warned that reconciliation without justice would embolden the killers, deepen the wounds of affected communities and erode public trust in governance.

The group admonished that the carnage must not be treated as a political issue but as a national emergency requiring firm, transparent and accountable responses.

While calling for the identification and prosecution of all perpetrators under relevant sections of the Criminal Code and Penal Code to reinforce the principle of zero tolerance for impunity, Filani urged the Federal Government to provide adequate compensation and psychological support to bereaved families by Section 35 of the Constitution and international human rights standards.

The UNYF president then called for a nationwide review of the security sector with emphasis on community-based security strategies and reform of existing laws relating to justice, policing and human rights.

He said, “The Benue massacre has since become a symbol of national anguish, galvanising voices across social and professional divides in a united demand for accountability and justice.

“Advocacy groups insist that mere rhetoric must give way to decisive action aimed at addressing the root causes of insecurity in the Middle Belt and beyond.

“They warned that failure to act decisively would not only dishonour the memory of the victims but further erode public confidence in the government’s ability to protect lives and property.”

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