NSA in Benue, says attacks tragic, evil

•Warns against politicising attacks •Killings have devastated state economy —Gov
•Attacks on Plateau communities direct assault on humanity, rule of law —NBA

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Tuesday visited Benue State and declared the attacks and killings as evil and a national tragedy.

Ribadu, who was in Makurdi for a stakeholders meeting following the killing of over 72 persons in Ukum and Logo Local Government Areas on Good Friday, lamented that it was evil that visited the state.

Addressing the meeting held in Makurdi, the state capital, the NSA, however, expressed the determination of the Bola Tinubu administration to end insecurity in the country. 

He stated that President Bola Tinubu had emphasised that Benue was not alone in its current security challenges, noting that the entire country was grappling with similar issues.

Describing the killings as a national tragedy, Ribadu said, “It was evil that visited the state.”

He added that the Tinubu administration inherited a deeply troubled nation and was working diligently to repair the damage.

“I’m here to commiserate with you and the good people of Benue over the loss of your people and to assure you that the country stands with you.

“The President is with you. This is a trying period for us all.

“This is a moment of sorrow, and it is during such times that you know those who truly care.

“What happened is a tragedy — an act of evil. But when evil comes, good people must unite to confront it.

“Benue is an extremely important state in Nigeria. As the food basket of the nation, you are number one in food production, and we are proud of you.

“We will solve this problem together. Do not feel alone — this challenge affects us all.

“Our armed forces and security agencies are doing their best, but such incidents persist because it is impossible to deploy personnel to every hamlet.

“Countries go through difficult phases. Insecurity is a tough challenge to overcome.

“Causing harm is easy, but solving the underlying issues is much harder — yet we are doing our best.

“As a government of less than two years, we have already significantly reduced the levels of extreme violence we inherited,” he said.

He also warned against politicising the attacks, saying that people should come together to defend evil,.

He said: “Let me appeal to you to give us chance, those who want to take advantage of this and make it political should stop it, we will not allow it. Let them face their own problem, it’s not right, not fair, we don’t want politics to come in.

The NSA said that the present administration met a terrible situation which he described as national security threat, but stated that government was confronting it.

He recalled that insecurity in  the country started about 15 years ago and added  that it has nothing to do with politics, religion and ethnicity.

He said: “The insecurity in Nigeria has been there since 2011 and we have number of lives lost, and it’s not about politics, religion or ethnicity but pure criminality.”

The NSA said that many countries across the world had lost the fight against bandits.

He said: “Sudan has no government, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso are all under military government and they faced the same problem.

He also made reference to Afghanistan where he once worked adding: “We are not doing badly despite the challenges because there is no part of the Nigeria that is being controlled by them.(bandits).

“The present administration has done fairly well, though, it’s not over, issue of insecurity is not something you can easily address.

“The way Federal Government is responding to insecurity today is different from the ways the past governments addressed it. The present government is a listening one, identifying the cause and tackling the issue.

“We will continue to do better, we have improved greatly from the time we came in, it’s a process, it’s a journey, it took 15 years to find ourselves where we are today and the present administration has done very well compared to what was happening in the past,” Ribadu said.

In his remarks, Governor Hyacinth Alia described the situation as a sober moment for the state, saying that Benue had been under siege with immense loss of lives since 2011.

He lamented that killings by terrorists, bandits, and militias had devastated the state’s economy.

“These people have no reason to coexist with peaceful citizens. We have suffered the loss of lives, farmlands, and property.

“There are currently 17 IDP camps in the state, and it has been difficult to return our people to their ancestral homes.

“Sankera is the headquarters of food production in the state, yet the attacks have been persistent and unrelenting.

“Instead of a Good Friday, we experienced a Black Friday, marked by venomous attacks on Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo.

“It is a devastating time for us. We lost 72 lives — it is unbearable. I have maintained regular contact with the NSA.

“Our security agencies have worked tirelessly to contain the attacks, but we urgently need more support.

“The President has been very supportive, and we are hopeful that more help is on the way,” the governor said.

Meanwhile, the branches of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Plateau State have stated that the recent acts of violence in parts of the state which resulted in the death of over one hundred people were a direct assault on humanity, the rule of law, and the fundamental right to life guaranteed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s Constitution.

Addressing newsmen in Jos, Plateau State, on Monday, the NBA chairman of the Jos branch, Leah Dagung Hassan, who spoke on behalf of chairmen of other branches in the state, said the recent spate of violent attacks in Bokkos and Bassa Local Government Areas of Plateau State was saddening.

She said the attacks on some Plateau communities in Bokkos and Bassa local governments were utterly heart-wrenching and that while Plateau State was yet to recover from the horror and pain of previous attacks, the peace is once again shattered by another wave of senseless and barbaric killings.

The NBA chairman said the branches in the state aligned themselves with the President of the Association, Mazi Afam Osigwe, calling on the government to rise up to its responsibility of safeguarding and protecting the lives of the citizens.

“We also adopt in totality the President’s address calling on the government to uphold the tenets of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to wit, the right to life.

She called on all security agents to rise above rhetoric and deliver swift, visible and effective justice, adding that continued bloodletting in Plateau State, under the guise of communal crises, must no longer be treated with indifference or vague promises.

The four branches of the NBA in the state further called on the state government and the federal government to take comprehensive and proactive steps to forestall future occurrences of such genocidal attacks on the people of Plateau State, adding that the attacks were not communal clashes, as stated by the Adviser to the President on security matters, but an intentional attack to wipe out helpless citizens sleeping in their houses in the night by wicked men who have no regard for human lives.

“We cannot continue to be silent in the face of these barbaric and evil acts of killing innocent citizens and taking over their ancestral lands, making them strangers in their own home.”

The NBA, therefore, demanded the immediate identification, arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of the wicked acts, adding that all the perpetrators who are arrested be prosecuted in the state and not be taken to Abuja.

 They called on the Federal Government to deploy adequate security personnel to vulnerable communities with clear mandates for community protection while states should be allowed to establish state police who will be armed with weapons to defend communities.

READ ALSO: Ogun monarch to Tinubu: Take decisive action to end killings in Plateau, Benue