Benue Massacre: Urgent Call for Govt to Protect Nigerians.

Benue Killing

The recent massacre of over 200 civilians in Yelwata, Benue State, underscores an alarming failure of Nigeria’s security infrastructure. The chilling revelation by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, that military insiders may have colluded with bandits has further intensified national outrage and demands urgent and uncompromising government action.

This tragedy is not just another statistic it is a damning indictment of a system that continues to fail the very people it was meant to protect. The targeted nature of the killings, the insider leaks, and the systemic breakdown of trust between security agencies and local communities point to a dangerous breach in national security.

In the face of such horror, statements and condolences are no longer enough. The government must act decisively now.

President Bola Tinubu’s redirected visit to Benue is a symbolic gesture, but what Nigerians demand is substance: real protection, accountability, and reform. The security apparatus must be restructured to eliminate saboteurs, empower intelligence gathering, and rapidly respond to threats before lives are lost not after.

Religious and political leaders from the Sultan of Sokoto to the Christian Association of Nigeria, and even former Senate President David Mark have echoed the same plea: Enough is enough.

Citizens are losing hope. Healthcare workers are in danger. Farmers are abandoning fertile lands. Children are dying from hunger and trauma. The nation’s soul is bleeding and silence is complicity.

The time has come for the Federal Government to match words with action. A total overhaul of Nigeria’s security strategy, increased support for local policing, and swift prosecution of perpetrators and collaborators are not optional they are imperative.

Failure to act now not only emboldens the killers, it risks a breakdown of public trust that could lead citizens to take security into their own hands an outcome that could spiral into wider anarchy.

Nigeria must not normalize mass murder. Leadership must rise or be held accountable.