The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) for 19 Northern States and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rev. John Hayab has led a high-powered delegation of Christian leaders to Benue State to commiserate with the government and people over the recent attacks in Yelewata and other parts of the state, which claimed over 200 lives and displaced numerous families.
During the visit, Hayab expressed deep sorrow over the mass killings, describing them as a national tragedy that requires urgent attention and a truthful national conversation.
He rejected the widely held narrative that classifies the crisis as a “herders-farmers clash”, insisting that such a label is misleading and obstructive to meaningful resolution.
He said: ‘This is not a herders-farmers crisis, and we must stop describing it that way. If you don’t make the right diagnosis, you will never administer the right treatment. We must call these killings what they are, and face the situation with honesty and courage’.
The cleric further said that, while the Northern CAN had issued several media statements to condemn the attacks, it was necessary to visit the food basket that the region holds dear, assuring the people that beyond offering prayers, CAN would continue to speak the truth to power and engage national leaders on sensitive matters affecting peace and justice in the country.
‘Beyond our prayers, we will continue to speak truth to power and engage national leaders on sensitive issues of national importance until meaningful change is achieved’, he added.
Governor Hyacinth Alia expressed deep appreciation to the Northern CAN leadership on the visit, noting that their presence brought warmth, comfort, and spiritual strength at a time of grief.
The governor said: ‘As I was shaking hands with all of you and feeling your warmth, what ran through my mind was: “I am because you are, and you are because I am”. That is Christianity. That is the message Christ preached — love’.
The governor, who described the visit as a divine gesture, stated that the presence of the delegation symbolised Christ sitting with the people of the state in their suffering.
‘You are not just sitting here. It is Christ who is sitting on each of the chairs you occupy. That is how much this visit means to me and the good people of Benue’, he added.
Lamenting the repeated killings, Alia said: ‘When one life is lost, it is one too many. And when the numbers keep rising, you wonder what is going on. But your visit, your prayers, and your presence are a complete interpretation of the good things that God is bringing out of a very bad situation’.
He urged the clergy to continue to serve as moral compasses for society and to uphold the state in their prayers, adding that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected’.
The delegation, received at the state Government House in Makurdi, the state capital, comprised CAN Chairmen, Secretaries, youth, and women leaders from across the 19 Northern states and the FCT.
The visit concluded with special prayers for the victims, their families, and the peace of the state. The CAN delegation reaffirmed its unwavering support and commitment to the people and government of the state in the ongoing search for justice and national healing.
