Prosecute Benue Killers Now, CAN, ACF Tell FG

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) have called on the federal government to urgently prosecute those behind the recent wave of violence in Benue State, where coordinated attacks claimed over 200 lives.

CAN’s president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in a statement, condemned the killings as “senseless” and a “failure of governance to protect citizens.”

“For too long, the people of Benue have been subjected to recurrent assaults, often blamed on armed groups, without meaningful intervention or justice,” Okoh said.

The apex Christian body demanded immediate action to end the cycle of violence and impunity, urging reinforced security deployment and a possible state of emergency in the worst-hit areas.

“This persistent failure to safeguard citizens and bring perpetrators to account has emboldened attackers and prolonged the cycle of violence,” he emphasised.

CAN also call for a thorough, transparent investigation, insisting that justice must prevail.

“We demand the immediate deployment of reinforced security personnel to protect vulnerable communities and, if necessary, the declaration of a state of emergency in the most affected areas,” he said.

Beyond domestic measures, CAN appealed for international support: “We also urge the global community to back efforts aimed at restoring peace and rebuilding trust in Benue State.”

Reaffirming its commitment to human dignity, CAN stressed: “We remain unwavering in defending the sanctity of life and advocating for the protection of all Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, ACF said it is greatly disturbed by the resurgence of yet another tragic episode of violence, leading to the gruesome death of scores of persons, and injuries to many, including women, children and the elderly, in Yelwata community of Benue State, on Friday, 13th June, 2025.

ACF, while expressing its condolences to the members of the Yelwata community, the government and people of Benue State, and indeed Nigeria as a whole, prayed for the repose of the souls of the dead, commiserated with the injured and wished them a quick recovery.

In a statement issued by the national publicity secretary, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, ACF categorically and unequivocally condemned the senseless killings that continue to escalate for far too long, every time with tragic consequences, and potent threats to the shared destiny in Arewa and indeed in Nigeria.

“The gruesome incident at Yelwata is only the latest in a cascading series of catastrophic violence, pitching farmers and herders, which dishearteningly seems to defy solutions, including decisive action by the federal government controlled security agencies.

“While not unmindful of and appreciates the efforts of the security agencies in their determination to tame the violent situation in Benue State and elsewhere. Only a few days before the Yellowata Tragedy, the chief of army staff (COAS) had undertaken a high-visibility relocation to Benue State to show a new determination.

“That the Yelwata tragedy would take place within days of the COAS’s relocation clearly illustrates that prevailing curtailment strategy must therefore be reviewed, to frontally confront the discomfiting regime of terrorism, insurgencies, banditry, communal conflicts, etc, however labelled. Proactive measures, including vigilance, improved intelligence gathering, must be the crucial ingredients of new curtailment strategies against the recurring cycle of senseless violence.”

Therefore, ACF called on citizens of Benue and other violence-prone states to commit to rejecting hate narratives, fear, and anger and replacing them with empathy, understanding, cooperation, and reconciliation. It also called on the federal and Benue State governments to immediately provide adequate relief materials to Yelwata and other affected communities.

ACF commended the efforts of Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State who has been visibly trying to fashion a new approach to finding lasting peace in the state, and refreshingly, through inclusive peace-building efforts to unearth the underlying causes of the cycle of violence, adding however that in doing so, impunity must not be allowed to continue to hold sway. In contrast, all those found culpable must be held to justice.

ACF also encouraged community and religious leaders to use every opportunity to act and foster exhaustive and inclusive dialogue and understanding between communities, denounce violence and incitement, and promote values of shared humanity, tolerance, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

ACF prayed for peace, understanding, cooperation, and social harmony to return to Benue State, Arewa, and other states.