It has been four days since Mr. President visited Benue State. I have had time to reflect, to listen again, and to consider the tone, substance, and symbolism of that visit. And truth must be spoken, with all the sobriety that our grief demands, these are my thoughts.
1. A “townhall meeting” was promised — a platform to engage with the people. But what we got was a carefully choreographed event, curated by the President’s protocol handlers to hear only one person — the Tor Tiv. Respected as he is, the wisdom of an entire people cannot be condensed into a single speech. What then was the point of gathering us all? In a townhall meeting with the people of the state?
2. Mr. President did not visit Yelwata — barely 15 minutes from Agan, the very site of mass killings and a humanitarian crisis. He did not see the Internally Displaced Persons(IDP. He made no strategic pronouncement for their relief or survival. Not one word about the National Emergency Management Agency taking over their care, as was rightly done in the North-East. Not a single declaration of a comprehensive plan for Rehabilitation, Reconstruction, or Resettlement.
3. Even after the Tor Tiv — with clarity and courage — told him plainly that this is not a communal clash but a genocide, Mr. President responded as though he had heard nothing. After saying “I have heard you’, he doubled down on the language of ‘dialogue’, ‘warring parties’, and then pivoted to a matter of ranches and land.
4. In fact, while the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) , and the Chief of Defence Staff sat quietly in the audience, Mr. President asked only the Minister of Livestock to stand up. That moment said everything.
5. Worse still, it now appears that Abuja politicians have managed to successfully merge two entirely distinct matters: the violent killings of Benue people by armed herdsmen, and the political friction between themselves and the governor. The narrative now being sold, and sadly believed by the President, is that the massacres are somehow the result of the governor’s refusal to reconcile with them and therefore, that the killings will continue until he does. This is an outrageous and insulting posturing, one that mocks the suffering of our people and muddles the real issue at hand: the failure of the Nigerian state to protect its citizens.
6. And then came the President’s scolding; He did not scold the killers? He did not scold the IGP, the National Security Adviser or the Chief of Defence Staff that were all sorted in the hall. He did not scold the failure of security. But he faced the Governor and scolding him thoroughly! His focus? That he must reconcile with Abuja politicians. Was that what this visit was about? Is the blood of our people being used as a bargaining chip in a quarrel between the state government and the political class in Abuja?
It is disturbing. And it is heartbreaking.
7. In all, the President missed a rare and powerful opportunity, not just to show empathy, but to lead, to act, to rise above politics and assure a battered people that they are seen, heard, and valued. Instead, we were reminded, rather painfully, that Benue may be part of Nigeria, but she is not always treated as such.
8. Let it be known: We are on our own. And the sooner we realise this, the better.
9. It is now time for real, localised security action. The Governor must deploy all available state resources to the rural areas, not in symbolic gestures, but in tangible, operational terms. Our communities must be organised into layered defence capabilities. The Local Government Chairmen, led by the Chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria, Hon. Orwough Maurice and Hon. Jonathan Modi have already shown courage and coordination in defending their people. Let them be empowered further.
10. Let every kobo of funds due to the Local Government Councils be released in full and without delay. The councils must now assume responsibility for the immediate security of their territories. Let them organise, equip, and deploy local hunters, vigilantes, and traditional security structures, those who know the terrain, the language, and the enemy.
11. We cannot afford to wait for Abuja and Abuja politicians. If the Federal Government will not defend Benue, Benue must defend herself.
