IN yet another dastardly incident that called the sanity and integrity of the Nigerian State and its governance architecture into question, suspected Fulani herders, members of a group that has long given Nigeria a prominent spot on the Global Terrorism Index, launched genocidal attacks on Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State last weekend, cutting down over 200 souls in cold blood. The incident occurred less than 48 hours after the killing of 25 people in Mtswenem and Akondotyough Bawa communities in Makurdi LGA. During the horrific attacks, many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and farmers were butchered, with some incinerated alive in makeshift shelters. Hear a survivor of the attack, Michael Ajah, who lost 20 relations and all his belongings: “They (terrorists) burnt my clothes and all our food. The clothes I’m wearing are what I came out with, the only thing I have left.” According to him, it was raining in the evening of that day when, at about 10:20 pm, gunshots were heard. And then: “Before we could comprehend what was happening, Fulani men came. I’m sure they were Fulani men because I heard them speaking clearly. I narrowly escaped. Eleven of my family members died in this house, and eight died here. In total, 20 of my family members died that day. My stores were burnt, my house was burnt.” Another victim, Bature Bartholomew, lamented that his younger brother, sister-in-law and mother were burnt alive in their home, adding that goods worth millions of naira were also burnt during the attack.
Among other unforgettable images, the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) reportedly witnessed an emotional reunion between a survivor, Mr Targule Aya, and his 10-month-old son on Tuesday. Aya had lost his wife and three other children. It was another survivor of the massacre who was also receiving treatment at the hospital that had recognised the baby and alerted Aya. Sadly, as a climate of agony pervades the state, there is as yet no definitive guarantee for the security of life and property, and many residents of the state have fled to neighbouring states amid threats of further attacks. Amid the outrage, President Bola Tinubu visited Benue State on Wednesday to assess the situation firsthand and engage with stakeholders on resolving the crisis.
Predictably, the incident generated outrage across the country even as the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, visited the state, promising to take the battle to the terrorists. The Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) under the leadership of its President-General, His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, the Sultan of Sokoto, said it was deeply pained and genuinely disturbed by the renewed spate of gruesome killings and bloodletting in parts of Benue State, as the attacks were “inhumane, ungodly, and a complete betrayal of our common values as human beings.” On its part, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) said the senseless killings had inflicted immeasurable pain on families, devastated communities, and further entrenched the insecurity threatening the nation. The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) said it was 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, while the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) advocated state-supervised self-defence as a solution to the incessant killings in the state and the entire geopolitical zone. For its part, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide decried the wanton killings, urging the Federal Government and the Benue State government to end the needless bloodletting forthwith. Disturbingly, amid the outrage, a Fulani group, Gan Allah Fulani Development Association (GAFDAN), blamed the incident on the alleged intolerance of the Benue State government.
To be sure, the terrorists struck in Benue State because they are fully accustomed to the Nigerian State’s condonation of their excesses. Amid other acts of extreme cruelty, the bloodthirsty murderers had turned the 2018 New Year festivities in Benue State into a mourning session, killing at least 73 persons in cold blood. They had replicated the same bloodshed across the country, from Igangan in Oyo State to Ishieke in Ebonyi State. In Plateau State, there is no timeline at all, because they never stop killing the people for sport. It is an orgy of bloodshed that points to utter demonic euphoria, enabled by the docility and taciturnity of the Nigerian State and its apparatuses of repression. It is no surprise that the death toll from the herder attacks in Agu-Amed autonomous community in Eha-Amufu, Isi-Uzu Local Government Area of Enugu State reportedly rose to 12 as of 12p.m on Tuesday after more bodies were recovered from bushes. The list goes on and on.
As we have noted time and again, the atrocities of the herders are enabled by the utter failure of the government to secure life and property, and the subtext of ethnic loyalty. For instance, following the 2018 New Year Day massacre in Benue State, the then president, Muhammadu Buhari, called on the traumatised people of the state to “accommodate their countrymen,” placing ethnic loyalty above his oath of office. Thankfully, the current president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has not been associated with such murderous logic, but he must act fast and demonstrate real departure from the criminal lethargy of the past by going after and prosecuting the killer herders to the fullest extent allowed by law. On current evidence, visits by service chiefs to areas troubled by terrorism are meaningless, and neither will the president’s visit to Benue State offer any soothing balm if it is not backed by concrete action. It is a no-brainer that if a government fails to address prolonged terrorist attacks by a particular group leading to ongoing violence, displacement and land seizures in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious community, then it is openly courting deepening ethnic divisions, increased radicalisation of citizens with extremist ideologies, humanitarian crisis, loss of trust in government and governance, and social and economic instability. To think that a particular group of people can continue to provoke other members of the Nigerian State without a devastating response at some point is to play ping-pong with the lessons of history. Unless the murderous onslaughts of the terrorists is halted, Nigeria risks a future mired in anarchy. Former Senate President, Senator David Mark, had this grave state of affairs in mind when he warned that the situation in Benue could compel residents to resort to self-help. Indeed, for a country that survived a civil war, the auguries are portentous.
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It is time for state police. It is time to shelve rhetoric and take concrete action to rein in the lawlessness in the land. If the Senate is really tired of mourning as it claims, then it should liaise with the Green Chamber and the state Houses of Assembly and emplace state policing without delay. Engaging in verbal and emotional identification with grieving groups and then going to sleep afterwards won’t cut it. Failing to act fast, and decisively, will mean presiding over the disintegration of the country. We have taken a hard look at history and have not seen any society that made progress with the kind of terrible atmosphere that subsists in Nigeria.
On the part of the Benue State government, it is time to be deliberate and intentional about securing life and property. Throwing around nebulous accusations won’t help. Governor Hyacinth Alia must band together with his colleague governors and ensure that Benue State has its own police. There is also nothing wrong in the governors of the North-Central states creating their own version of Amotekun, putting pressure on the Federal Government to provide the right complement of arms. Nigeria is a federation, after all. If, as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr George Akume, said, Benue leaders, traditional institutions, and key stakeholders must come together now “to forge a path toward lasting peace and security and rise above division and act decisively to protect our people and preserve our future,” this is the time to act. Delay is no option.
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