Benue Communities in Diaspora Accuse Federal Government of Genocide

Strategic Insights -

Leaders of Benue communities in the diaspora have written an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, condemning the recent killings of over 200 people in Yelewata, Guma local government area of Benue State, as a 'silent genocide' against indigenous populations. The letter catalogues a series of coordinated attacks across Benue State, accusing security agencies of failing to act or standing by as Benue communities were decimated. The diaspora leaders demanded six key actions from the President, including a public condemnation of the massacres, deployment of security forces, and an independent investigation into alleged military inaction or complicity.

Key Takeaways:

  • The letter was signed by Professor Akaa D. Ayangeakaa representing the Tiv community and Chief Edwin Ochai for the Idoma community, who condemned the recent labelling of the violence as mere 'reprisal attacks' in a 'farmer-herder conflict.'
  • The diaspora leaders insisted that the scale and nature of the attacks reflected deliberate and organised campaigns of ethnic cleansing and land occupation, not communal clashes.
  • A deadly attack in May in Gbagir, Ukum LGA, claimed over 70 lives and the letter recalled that the violence was not isolated to a few communities but part of a larger, sustained onslaught across the state.
  • The letter also highlighted that over 2 million people have been displaced and are now crammed into IDP camps across the state, with little or no access to food, education, or healthcare.
  • The diaspora leaders made six key demands, including a public condemnation of the massacres by the President, deployment of security forces, and an independent investigation into alleged military inaction or complicity.
  • The letter also expressed deep disappointment over President Tinubu's reported directive to the Benue State Government to hold 'reconciliation meetings,' which the diaspora leaders rejected as 'terrorism.'
  • The letter clarified that the people of Benue are not at war with the Fulani or any other group and demanded that justice must precede reconciliation.

Statistics:

  • Over 200 people killed in Yelewata, Guma local government area of Benue State.
  • Over 2 million people displaced and crammed into IDP camps across the state.
  • 70 lives lost in a deadly attack in May in Gbagir, Ukum LGA.
  • No arrests or prosecutions of perpetrators mentioned in the letter.

Sources:

  • An open letter to President Bola Tinubu, signed by Professor Akaa D. Ayangeakaa representing the Tiv community and Chief Edwin Ochai for the Idoma community.