Benue Killings: CAPPA Slams Authorities Over Silence, Calls For Urgent Action
The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has condemned the killing of over 200 people in Benue State, describing it as a shocking failure of government and a chilling sign of growing insecurity in Nigeria.
In a strongly worded statement, CAPPA decried the “senseless massacre” in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area, where armed attackers believed to be herders unleashed coordinated assaults that left scores dead, many wounded, and entire families homeless.
Eyewitnesses said the attackers stormed the area in the early hours of Saturday, setting shelters for internally displaced persons (IDPs) on fire and killing security personnel, including both soldiers and police officers, in a separate attack.
“This atrocity defies comprehension,” the group said. “What is happening in Benue is no longer a land dispute it is a campaign of terror that must be stopped.”
CAPPA accused the federal and Benue State governments of turning a blind eye to the recurring violence, branding their promises of security as “hollow rhetoric.” The group also condemned the police for tear-gassing grieving protesters, saying it added “insult to injury.”
They called for an emergency security summit, urging President Bola Tinubu and Governor Hyacinth Alia to launch a special task force to disarm violent groups and prosecute their leaders transparently.
Beyond military action, CAPPA wants community-led peace councils, ranching reforms, and a national livestock registration scheme to curb open grazing conflicts. They also demanded compensation and trauma care for victims and their families.
A statement signed by the Media and Communication Officer, CAPPA, Robert Egbe, warned that without urgent, sincere intervention, Benue risks descending into endless bloodshed adding that every Nigerian deserves protection as no life is more valuable than another.
