Mercy Osagowe
Leaders of Benue communities in the diaspora have condemned the recent wave of killings in the state, describing the violence as a silent genocide against indigenous populations.
The reaction follows the June 14 massacre in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area, where over 200 people were reportedly killed by suspected armed herders.
In an open letter jointly signed by Professor Akaa D. Ayangeakaa representing the Tivs in the diaspora and Chief Edwin Ochai representing the Idoma community in the diaspora, chronicled similar attacks in Ukum, Apa, Otukpo, and other local governments, calling on President Bola Tinubu to take urgent action.
The group sexpressed outrage over comments by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, who described the killings as “reprisals” in a “farmer-herder conflict.”
The diaspora groups rejected the statement as dangerous and misleading, insisting that the killings were coordinated acts of ethnic cleansing.
They accused the Federal Government of remaining silent in the face of ongoing atrocities and failing to provide adequate security or relief for affected communities.
The groups demanded an immediate federal intervention, including the deployment of security forces, prosecution of perpetrators, and resettlement of displaced persons.
They also called for a full investigation into the Yelewata killings, warning that continued neglect could further destabilize the region and erode public trust in government.
The letter reads below:
“Over the past few months, towns and villages across Benue State have suffered relentless, planned, and brutal attacks. The violence has been both shocking and deeply upsetting. In Gbagir (Ukum LGA) in May, over seventy civilians were killed.
“On June 14, another massacre occurred in Yelewata (Guma LGA), claiming more than 200 lives. These were not deaths resulting from conflict or stray bullets. These were executions. Whole families were murdered. Homes turned to ashes. Survivors face lifelong trauma. Astonishingly, the police personnel at the nearby police station were said to have been overwhelmed.
“But the violence is not confined to Ukum and Guma. In Otukpo and Apa LGAs, similar tragedies have happened. In early 2024, coordinated attacks resulted in numerous deaths, displacing entire communities and destroying villages.
“In Agatu, Gwer West, Logo, Kwande, Katsina-Ala, Makurdi rural areas, and other regions of the state, we have seen repeated cycles of violence. From the rivers of Agatu to the farmlands of Tarka and Buruku, Benue has become a site of lost dreams and broken hopes. Yet, we see no meaningful federal responses. No visits from the Presidency. No arrests. No justice.
“Your Excellency, these are not isolated incidents. They are part of a disturbing, ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing, land theft, and genocidal violence aimed at the indigenous people of Benue. Humanitarian agencies report that Benue now has over 2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). Families that once farmed, went to school, and lived in peace are now crammed into overcrowded IDP camps with no access to basic needs or hope.
“We were therefore shocked, insulted, and heartbroken by the recent press statement from your Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, on June 15, 2025. Framing the Benue massacres as mere “reprisal attacks” in a “farmer-herder conflict” is not only inaccurate; it is also deeply offensive and disheartening.
“We condemn the statement in its entirety. This is not about farmers and herders exchanging grievances. It is not a communal clash. There have been no provocations from Benue communities that could justify the scale or frequency of the violence. What we witness are deliberate, organized, and targeted attacks on unarmed civilians. To call it anything less than genocide ignores the suffering of thousands and emboldens the perpetrators.
“Was the 7-month-old baby who was hacked with a hatchet and burned alive also a farmer? Were the infants who died while clinging to their mothers’ breasts part of a “farmers-herders conflict”? You label the slaughter of individuals in their sleep, in their own homes, a simple dispute between farmers and herders? That description is misleading and portrays grave injustice to the memory of the innocent.
“With due respect, Mr. President, we disagree strongly with your directive. You have asked the Governor of Benue State to hold “reconciliation meetings and dialogue among the warring parties.” But we must clarify: the people of Benue are not at war with the Fulani or any other group. We are not involved in a conflict that requires reconciliation between equals.
“How do we reconcile with those we do not know, those who attack without warning and disappear, leaving only blood, ashes, and unbearable grief? These attackers do not come to negotiate. They come to kill, to destroy, and to seize land that does not belong to them. This is not conflict. This is terrorism! This is ethnic cleansing!
“Therefore, labeling it otherwise trivializes the victims’ suffering and normalizes the actions of those uninterested in peace, but only in conquest. If true peace is your aim, then the starting point must be honesty and justice, not false balance. The path to harmony does not begin by equating victims and perpetrators.
“It is disingenuous to call for reconciliation when not a single herder has been arrested or prosecuted for the atrocities committed. Justice must precede reconciliation; otherwise, peace becomes a hollow word and impunity a norm. Remember that Benue State, known as the food basket of the nation, plays a vital role in Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
“The farmers in the state do not engage only in subsistence agriculture; they are the backbone of large-scale farming that feeds millions across Nigeria and generates export produce beyond Nigerian borders. To treat Benue’s crisis as a local conflict is to ignore the national and regional consequences of destabilizing a major agricultural hub that sustains the food security of Nigeria and elsewhere.
“The good people of Benue State have always been peaceful and have supported the Nigerian federation. We voted overwhelmingly for your candidacy in 2023 because we believed in your message of renewed hope. That hope is now hanging by a thread. The Federal Government and security agencies must act with urgency and fairness. Communities must be protected, displaced persons resettled, and those responsible for these heinous crimes brought to book. Anything short of this is an abdication of constitutional responsibility and a betrayal of the people’s trust.
“We respectfully, but firmly, restate and demand the following:
“That Your Excellency publicly acknowledge and condemn the massacres in Gbagir, Yelewata, Otukpo, Apa, Logo, Kwande, and other affected communities for what they truly are; acts of terror, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity.
“That federal security forces be deployed in a coordinated, sustained, and responsible way to all at-risk areas in Guma, Logo, Ukum, Gwer West, Agatu, Apa, Otukpo, Kwande, and other hotspot LGAs.
“That a full, independent, and transparent investigation is launched into the failure or complicity of military personnel in Yelewata and elsewhere. Anyone found guilty should be made to face legal consequences.
“That a thorough federal resettlement and rehabilitation program is started for displaced Benue communities, including rebuilding homes, farmlands, schools, clinics, and other infrastructure.
“That the Federal Government announce and enact a plan to recover ancestral lands under illegal occupation and ensure a safe and dignified return for displaced persons.
“That Your Excellency organize immediate, ongoing dialogue, not between “warring parties,” but between the Federal Government and Benue stakeholders, to address systemic injustice and create genuine peace for the people.
“Your Excellency, true leadership is measured by how a nation’s leader responds to the cries of their people for justice. The people of Benue are not asking for handouts. We demand our right to life. We demand safety, acknowledgment, and a future.
“Mr. President, while we recognize and appreciate your decision to cancel your scheduled visit to Kaduna in order to visit our state on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, the people of Benue feel a deep sense of neglect. We genuinely believe that if these massacres had happened in Sokoto, Kano, or Maiduguri, or other parts of Nigeria, there would have been immediate military responses, high-level visits, and urgent federal actions. In contrast, Benue has received prolonged silence and now harmful misrepresentation.
“We ask again, with deep sorrow: Are Benue lives worthless? This moment will test your administration’s conscience. The Nigerian people, and posterity, are watching. Let this not be remembered as the time when a Nigerian President looked away.
“Let it be the moment when justice, compassion, and decisive leadership emerged.”
