Benue massacre is genocide, govt must act now – Centre for Change

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

The Centre for Change has issued a scathing condemnation of last weekend’s brutal killings in Benue State, describing the incident as a genocide and an alarming sign of state failure.

In a strongly worded statement signed by its president, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, the human rights organisation said the coordinated attacks on sleeping villagers in Yelwata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area were not only barbaric, but a grim reminder of the Nigerian government’s inability to fulfil its constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property.

“It is outrageous that the terrorists and savages responsible for this bloodletting could invade sleeping communities in the middle of the night, slaughter hundreds of people in cold blood and proceed to raze their houses,” the statement read.

While official casualty figures are still being verified, eyewitnesses report that dozens of women and children were among the dead, with homes torched and entire families wiped out in the overnight assault.

Dr Odumakin did not mince words, describing the wave of violence as a “genocidal campaign” that must be halted immediately.

She lamented the slow and ineffective response of Nigeria’s security agencies, warning that the persistent failure to tackle such atrocities could push the nation further into chaos.

“The blood-chilling spectacle unfolding in Benue is an indictment on the Nigerian military and other security agencies,” she said.

“The Government’s inability to deal with this looming anarchy signals a direct manifestation of state failure.”

The Centre for Change further warned political leaders against using the tragedy for partisan gain. “This is not the time for politicking,” Odumakin stated.

“Doing so would trivialise the gravity of the current situation and deflect attention from the urgent need to halt this horrifying saga,” she added.

The organisation urged both federal and state governments to prioritise justice by identifying, arresting, and prosecuting the perpetrators of the killings, while also taking steps toward a permanent resolution to the deepening security crisis in Benue and across Nigeria’s Middle Belt.

Beyond its call for accountability, the Centre for Change appealed to residents of Benue to collaborate with security agencies by providing intelligence and support to aid efforts in rooting out criminal elements from their communities.

“We commiserate with the Government and people of Benue State over the tragic event of last weekend,” Odumakin said.

The massacre in Guma adds to the growing toll of lives lost in a decade-long conflict largely driven by clashes between armed herders and local farmers, often inflamed by ethnic, religious, and political tensions.