By Ibrahim Habu Suleiman

The recent attacks on innocent civilians in two villages of Yelwata and Guma in Guma local government area of Benue state reportedly claiming hundreds of lives has attracted the attention of the entire country as a result of the brutal nature the victims were slaughtered in cold blood.
The attacks were reportedly carried out in three successive days. Of course this is not the first of its kind in the state, which has a long standing feud between herdsmen and farmers. This particular incident comes to mind as the most brutal and inhumane. Human beings were virtually slaughtered like animals. We are supposed to be in a civilised society.
Interestingly, unlike in other parts of the country where bandits or the Boko Haram terrorists, etc would claim responsibility, there was no group that has officially claimed responsibility of these dastardly acts. It is equally saddening that the authorities concerned have never been able to fish out the culprits for the most sever punishment in order to serve as a deterrent to others. This has led to suspicions that the authorities are favourably in league with the perpetrators.
Civil society and human rights groups, politicians, the elites, as well as other professionals have called on the authorities concerned, particularly the federal government to swiftly take necessary action towards finding an end to these senseless killings. The state and federal governments were accused of being lukewarm or morally complicit with the attackers. The general questions many people ask are: how can such inhumanity be perpetrated in your territory while the governor and particularly the president not be aware? Why has none of them visited the venue to assess things with a view to joining forces towards finding lasting solution?
Finally, on Wednesday June 18 President Bola Ahmed Tinubu landed in Makurdi, the Benue state capital to see things for himself and commiserate with the government and victims of the attacks. The president was accompanied by his service chiefs, including the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun and the Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Christopher Musa. The president ordered the service chiefs to apprehend those criminals, perpetrators of the massacre in the state.
On their part the service chiefs reiterated their determination to re-strategise with a view of making the Benue massacre the last of its kind not only in the state but in the entire country. They urged members of the community to always provide the security agencies with information promptly, pointing out that from the nature of the attacks there must have been insiders. The Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Christopher Musa maintained that it has become necessary for them to work with the people.
But the task before the security forces is no sinecure. The general belief is that the perpetrators of the evil acts are armed Fulani herders. This has led to speculations that they are Muslims on a jihad. But the misconception is that armed gangs that parade themselves as jihadists intent on killing and maiming people cannot refer to themselves as Muslims. They are simply pretenders. It is therefore wrong to consider any unprovoked attacks executed with such brutal and inhumane precision as carried out by jihadists.
Perhaps in a bid to prevent any such brutal attacks by the suspected Fulani herdsmen the immediate past governor of the state, Samuel Ortom, had made it clear that Fulani herdsmen were not welcomed in Benue and those caught grazing cattle were summarily dealt with. They were made to pay fines, while many of them were detained for long periods until they were able to pay up. However, the government in place today, led by Governor Hyacinth Allia of the All Progressives Congress, APC, appears more accommodating and somehow open to hearing the version of the genuine Fulani herders in the state.
Nevertheless, the situation must have gone out of hand even as Reverend Father Allia had earlier cried out for understanding and assistance. But the so-called armed herdsmen descended on the state, wrecking harvoc on peaceful people in their villages, succeeding in the massacre of hundreds of unsuspecting citizens. Hence, whether the perpetrators of this dastardly acts are foreigners or some misguided compatriots, it has now become pertinent to face them squarely with a view to putting a final full stop to their inhumane atrocities. This is where the security forces come in and from all indications there must be no more room for any further delays. All the people want henceforth is action.
While still contemplating the true origin or nationality of these miscreants it is necessary to consider addressing the country’s porous borders. The CDS has made it abundantly clear that our borders are typically porous and something must be done to halt unwanted elements from infiltrating at will into the country. The solution maybe to erect tall fence around the borders. This could be a very tall order as getting it done will gulp down billions or trillions of naira. But this would be geared towards ensuring the security of lives and property of people across the country!
Meanwhile, survivors and families of the victims of these massacre must be promptly taken care of. Government must not allow anything to delay the provision of immediate relief materials and overall assistance to the displaced persons as well as the reconstruction of the structures destroyed by the attackers. At any rate, there is equally the need for authorities concerned to ensure that justice is also seen to be done, otherwise what might follow afterwards could be more devastating. All this and more are necessary for peace and tranquility not only in the state but the country at large.
The spate of what can be referred as reprisal attacks has somehow already come to stay. The latest attack orchestrated by some armed gangs on a bus containing passengers travelling from Zaria, Kaduna state for a wedding ceremony in Qua’an Pan, Plateau state left twelve innocent Nigerians gruesomely massacred for being different as non-indigenes. Such reprisal attacks only generate a circle of similar attacks elsewhere thereby making the quest for lasting peace well-nigh impossible.
In fact, Plateau state has witnessed several such attacks on travellers. In 2021 about 30 (thirty) people were brutally killed while on their way to Ondo state from Bauchi after attending the Islamic New Year celebration at the house of prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi. There was the murder of General Idris Alkali retired in 2018. He was abducted by the murderers on his from Abuja to Bauchi. His dead body was discovered later in Du village of Jos South LGA of the state. Similarly some travellers from Kano were waylaid along Zaria Road Jos city and four people were massacred, their vehicle as usual was set ablaze. Many survivors of the incident sustained serious injuries.
The government at all levels must guard against the perpetration of this ugly trend, which is not limited to Plateau state. As long as the indigene versus non-indigene issue continues to fester among any society, there can never be lasting peace and tranquility as hatred and enmity would continue to breed senseless attacks, counter-attacks and killings. Every citizen, Christian, Muslim, or non-believer, whether you are Tiv, Idoma, Berom, Hausa or Fulani, has the right to live anywhere in the country without restrictions. After all Moses (Musa AS) a Jew by extraction, was born and raised in Egypt, before he eventually led his people out, across the Nile, to the promised land as the Lord commanded. Similarly, Joseph (Yusuf AS) became a highly respected government minister in Egypt where he eventually brought his parents and siblings to live, savouring the newly acquired wealth and luxury in that country.
Hence, people have no other choice but to live together in peace and harmony. In fact, without peace there cannot be any progressive development. Every citizen has a duty to ensure he or she lives as human beings together. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria provides each and every citizen fundamental human rights to live freely wherever. Under a true democracy the government must always ensure that the laws of the land are strictly being adhered to. It is therefore expected that the security forces have to rise up to the challenges not only to ensure prompt apprehension of the criminals and bringing them to justice, but also to make sure that such evil acts are not repeated. As the saying goes, action speaks louder than words.
End.