Benue: Poly Students Lament Killings, Demand Urgent Action

The National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) has strongly condemned the recent massacre in Yelwata community, Guma local government area of Benue State, where over 50 residents, including youths and children, were reportedly killed in brutal attacks.

In a statement, the president of NAPS, Comrade Eshiofune Paul Oghayan, described the killings as “a national disgrace” and called for immediate and decisive action from both federal and state authorities.

“The reports of more than 50 lives lost, with entire families wiped out, homes razed, and survivors left in anguish, have broken our collective hearts,” the statement read. “Among the victims were youths—some possibly NAPS members—whose dreams and contributions to nation-building were cut short by evil masked in cowardice.”

The student body decried what it described as growing insecurity in rural communities, adding that the country was “not at war,” yet many areas were experiencing violence on a scale worse than war zones.

While commending security agencies for their efforts, NAPS criticised what it called a reactive approach to insecurity, and urged the government to overhaul the country’s security architecture with more emphasis on intelligence gathering, community-based early warning systems, and rapid response units.

The students also tasked the Benue State Government with strengthening the state’s Community Volunteer Guard and conducting a thorough investigation into the attack.

Quoting renowned author Chinua Achebe, Oghayan stated: “When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool.”

NAPS urged fellow students, civil society organisations, and the general public not to remain silent in the face of what it described as “tyranny,” warning that silence could embolden those behind such attacks.

“This is not just a tragedy—it is a national emergency,” Oghayan said. “We will continue to push for a Nigeria where education is not interrupted by bloodshed, and where the dignity of every citizen is preserved and protected,” he added.

The statement ended with prayers for the souls of the victims and a call for justice to be served swiftly.