…says ttacks cruel, betrayal of sacred duty
A Port Harcourt, Rivers State-based Group with political tentacles in the South-South and South-East as well as the Gulf of Guinea has called for the declaration of a ‘state of emergency’ in Benue State.
The state of emergency declared in Rivers State is now in its third month, with governance and public service almost grounded.
Just like the ongoing state of emergency in Rivers State, the Group known as Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria) led by Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, urged President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Benue State.
YEAC-Nigeria said the initiative would empower security operatives with extra powers to restore peace, protect lives, properties and prevent further attacks while working towards lasting solutions to the herders-farmers clashes.
As a call for possible lasting solutions, YEAC-Nigeria emphasised the need for comprehensive strategies to address the remote and immediate causes of these clashes, including implementing sustainable land use policies, promoting dialogue and conflict resolution mechanisms, as well as supporting affected communities and persons with some compensation.
Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President, has condemned the use of tear gas to disperse Benue citizens who were protesting recent unwarranted killings in their communities.
Atiku, who was the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate in the 2023 General Elections, also joined concerned Nigerians in condemning the bloodshed in Benue State, which he said had ” reached a devastating crescendo — a brutal and heart-wrenching reality that can no longer be ignored.
Read also: Insecurity: Atiku condemns attacks on Benue protesters
“For years, families have buried their loved ones in silence, villages have been ravaged, and communities shattered, while those in power watch from a distance, offering nothing but hollow assurances”.
The former Vice President, while lamenting the silence and failure of security operatives to deal with the situation, wondered ” how much more must the people of Benue endure before their humanity is acknowledged?
“Their demand is simple: to live in peace, to sleep without fear, to farm without being slaughtered, and to raise their children without the constant shadow of violence.
“When citizens take to the streets to protest this injustice, they are not inciting rebellion; they are crying for help.
“They are demanding what every Nigerian is constitutionally entitled to: the right to life and the protection of that life by the state. But what do they receive in return? Tear gas. Brutality. Disdain. It is pouring hot oil on an open wound.
“To unleash force on grieving, defenceless citizens is not governance, it is cruelty. It is a betrayal of the sacred duty of leadership. What kind of government meets a cry for safety with the barrel of a gun and a canister of gas?
“The silence, the indifference, the lack of urgency, it is all damning. It speaks to a deeper rot in the conscience of leadership, a frightening normalisation of violence against the very people they swore to protect
“This is a call to conscience to every leader at both the federal and state levels: stop turning a blind eye while Benue drowns in blood. Stop offering condolences and start offering solutions”.
Atiku, however, called on the Federal Government to work with Security Agencies to deploy resources and craft a security architecture that prioritises human lives over political optics.
“Benue is not alone. From Plateau to Zamfara, Kaduna to Taraba, the cries are the same. Nigerians are bleeding and begging to be heard.
“We urge the people not to be silenced. Raise your voices. Demand accountability. Demand justice. Demand a government that sees you, hears you, and protects you.
“History will not be kind to those who chose power over people. The time to act is now”, Atiku concluded.
