Beyond condolences: FG must confront escalating violence in Benue, Plateau

The wave of violence sweeping across Benue, Plateau, and Kaduna states has become a tragic hallmark of Nigeria’s deepening security crisis. Entire communities have been razed, families torn apart, and livelihoods obliterated. In the past two months alone, thousands of lives have been lost, while properties worth millions of naira have been reduced to rubble.

These atrocities are not isolated incidents. The killings in Plateau and Benue have taken on a chilling character of coordination and intent, suggesting that the crisis has outgrown the simplistic framing of a herder-farmer conflict. Despite President Tinubu’s directive for a comprehensive overhaul of national security strategies, the carnage continues with alarming frequency and brutality. The situation demands far more than policy pronouncements; it calls for urgent, robust, and sustained action.

Local collaboration must become central to the government’s response. Security cannot be imposed from Abuja alone. The state and federal authorities must deepen cooperation with local councils and communities to reclaim ungoverned spaces and rebuild trust. Security agencies must be visible, accessible, and accountable. Community engagement is not a luxury; it is a necessity.

In Plateau State, Governor Caleb Mutfwang has not minced words in describing the scale of the devastation. “I can tell you in all honesty that I cannot find any explanation other than genocide sponsored by terrorists,” he said, urging security agencies to identify and expose those financing the violence. His frustration reflects a growing sense of helplessness among state leaders as entire communities are displaced and occupied by armed groups. At least 64 communities in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom LGAs have reportedly been seized and renamed by bandits.

The horrors witnessed in Plateau during the Christmas 2023 massacre, which claimed nearly 200 lives, remain fresh scars on the national conscience. This violence is not random; it is calculated, persistent, and seemingly without consequence for the perpetrators.

In Benue, Governor Hyacinth Alia has described the current phase of violence as markedly different and more dangerous than previous clashes with traditional herders. “We are under siege,” he lamented, referring to a series of attacks that have left dozens dead and thousands displaced. During a condolence visit by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to Makurdi, the governor described the deadly Good Friday attacks in Sankera as “Black Friday,” in which 72 lives were lost in Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo LGAs.

Governor Alia has raised alarms about the coordination and sophistication of the attacks, pointing to porous borders and terrorist hideouts in neighbouring Taraba and Nasarawa states, as well as in Cameroon. Despite the state government’s procurement of 100 Hilux vehicles and 600 motorcycles to support security operations, Alia warned that the complexity of the assaults suggests a level of organisation that outpaces current security responses. “The attacks are layered, like an onion – vicious and calculated,” he said.

Both governors have shown commendable resolve, but their efforts cannot succeed in a vacuum. The federal government must act with urgency and coherence. Military presence must be boosted where necessary, and intelligence operations intensified to dismantle the networks behind the killings. Drone surveillance, real-time communication between agencies, and community-led intelligence gathering must become standard tools in this fight.

However, true security cannot be achieved solely through firepower. Nigeria must tackle the root causes of violence: poverty, unemployment, inequality, and the erosion of state legitimacy. A jobless, disaffected youth population is fertile ground for extremism and organised crime. It is essential to promote job creation through macroeconomic reforms, investment in infrastructure and education, and support for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Government incentives, such as tax breaks and training programmes, can attract private sector investment to rural and marginalised areas. Worker-based strategies, skills acquisition schemes, vocational education, and mentorship opportunities, must be scaled up, not left to token initiatives. These are not silver bullets, but they are essential building blocks for long-term peace.

The partnership between Governors Mutfwang and Alia should also serve as a model. By coordinating border security efforts and sharing intelligence, states can reduce the mobility of armed groups. Regional collaboration should be matched by consistent federal backing, financial, logistical, and moral.

What is unfolding in Benue and Plateau is not just a regional crisis. It is a national emergency. The people of Nigeria deserve more than expressions of sympathy. They deserve security, justice, and a future free from the fear of violence. The government must not let history repeat itself under a new name. It is time to act, boldly, comprehensively, and without delay.