“The authorities have continued to treat suspected killers… like sacred cows,” Falana stated.
Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has accused Governor Hyacinth Alia of politicising security matters and ignoring President Bola Tinubu’s peace roadmap amid escalating attacks in the state.
In a statement by his aide, Terver Akase, Ortom said Alia had “peddled varying narratives” on the killings, including blaming clergymen and foreign attackers. “People are being killed like animals by armed herders,” Ortom said, urging the governor to implement Tinubu’s security recommendations and allow local governments to control their resources.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) also criticised the federal and state governments for failing to prosecute over 270 suspects arrested in connection with recent killings. “The authorities have continued to treat suspected killers… like sacred cows,” Falana stated.
In Nasarawa, the Alago Ikweyi Gbayi group called on President Tinubu to direct a physical boundary demarcation with Benue to stem cross-border violence.
Meanwhile, Rev. Dr. Gideon Para-Mallam of the Peace Foundation led a humanitarian visit to Benue, condemning the violence and donating food and clothing. “We will not be silent. Forgiveness is not weakness — it is strength — but justice must be served,” he said.
Tensions remain high across affected communities.