Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has told the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, to immediately arrest killer herdsmen who slaughtered over 100 people in Yelewata community in Benue State.
“The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people,” he stressed.
Tinubu gave the directive while addressing stakeholders at the Government House, Makurdi.
Speaking during a town hall meeting with stakeholders at the Benue State Government House in Makurdi, the President questioned the Inspector-General of Police over the absence of arrests days after the massacre.
“Police, I hope your men are on alert to listen to information. How come no arrest has been made?” Tinubu asked. “I expect there should be arrests of those criminals.”
The meeting included the Secretary to the Federal Government, George Akume, Traditional Rulers, and former Governors of the state.
The governors of Kwara, Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo and Nasarawa also attended the meeting.
President Tinubu called out the Inspector General of Police to know why arrests have not been made.
“How come no one has been arrested for committing this heinous crime in Yelewata? Inspector General of Police, where are the arrests? The criminals must be arrested immediately,” President Tinubu said.
He urged the heads of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to intensify surveillance and gather actionable intelligence to apprehend the perpetrators.
He told the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, of the need for vigilance and collaboration between communities and security forces.
Advising Governor Alia on the importance of stakeholder management for peaceful and progressive governance, the President urged the Governor to set up a peace committee in the state that will include former governors of Benue, elders, traditional rulers, federal government officials, and non-indigenes living in the state.
“Let us meet again in Abuja. Let’s fashion out a framework for lasting peace. I am ready to invest in that peace. I assure you, we will find peace. We will convert this tragedy into prosperity,” he said.
He urged Alia to allocate land for ranching and directed the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to follow up.
While underscoring the importance of peace for sustainable development, Tinubu implored the Governor to ensure Benue is peaceful, adding that the circumstances of his visit this time should not have been a reason to visit.
“I wanted to come here to commission projects, to reassure you of hope and prosperity, not to see gloomy faces. But peace is vital to development,” he said.
“The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people,” he stressed.
He charged Governor Alia with working with the Federal Government to restore peace.
Tinubu said: “Governor Alia, you were elected under the progressive banner to ensure peace, stability and progress. You are not elected to bury people or comfort widows and orphans. We will work with you to achieve that peace. You must also work with us.
“Not everyone will like you in politics. They hate me, too, like hell. But here I am, still your President. I made a promise to protect democracy, freedom, and prosperity, even for my abusers and accusers. That’s leadership.”
Alia appealed to the Federal Government to establish a Special Intervention Fund for communities affected by repeated violent attacks across the state.
“Your Excellency, while we continue to mourn our losses and rebuild from the ashes of pain, we humbly urge the Federal Government to consider establishing a special intervention fund for communities affected by these incessant attacks in Benue State,” he said.
According to him, the fund would support the rehabilitation of displaced persons, reconstruction of destroyed homes and infrastructure, and the restoration of livelihoods, especially for farmers.
He reiterated his support for establishing state police as a lasting solution to insecurity.
The Governor pledged his administration’s full commitment to building a safe, stable, prosperous Benue State.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Council, Tor Tiv, Orchivirigh Professor James Ayatse, praised Tinubu for being the first sitting President to personally visit victims in the hospital in the wake of such a tragedy.
He thanked the President for appointing notable Benue indigenes into key positions, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, while expressing hope that more appointments would follow.
On the recurring spate of insecurity in the state, the monarch took time to address misinformation and mischaracterisation, saying that land grabbing is at the core of the decades-long conflict.
“Your Excellency, it is not herder-farmer clashes. It is not communal clashes. It is not reprisal attacks or skirmishes. What we are dealing with here in Benue is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder-terrorists and bandits.”
He cautioned that mischaracterising the crisis had led to inadequate responses and accused some political actors of exploiting the situation for selfish gain.
“We hear that some politicians would even prefer that the crisis worsens, so it would serve as a basis for declaring a state of emergency. This is unfortunate. Any politician who prays for more people to die for such a project is working against the wishes of the people of Benue State,” he said.
He, therefore, appealed to President Tinubu to restore peace to the state and every part of Nigeria.
“All we ask of you, sir, is to stop our weeping. Give us peace in Benue State, so our people, primarily farmers, can return to their farms and continue to produce food for Nigeria.
“I heard a story about a challenge in a place in Kwara State, and you rose and gave them peace in Kaiama. You can do that for Benue.”
