Benue under siege, too many mass graves — Leaders raise alarm

…Call for Intervention from EU, UK, and US

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

A coalition of concerned professionals, civil society organizations, and religious leaders in Benue State has raised alarm over what it described as the continued deadly attacks in the state, calling on the international community to intervene.

Addressing journalists in Makurdi over the weekend, the group, under the aegis of the Coalition of Concerned Professionals, Civil Society Groups, and Religious Leaders, decried the humanitarian crisis allegedly fueled by incessant armed attacks, which they say have resulted in widespread displacement and mass casualties.

Spokesperson for the coalition, Gideon Inyom, said the state has suffered significant loss of lives and livelihoods, citing data from the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA), which estimates that over 6,000 people have died and more than two million residents have been displaced in the past 12 years.

“As concerned sons and daughters of Benue State, we are compelled to draw the attention of the global community to the silent war being waged against our people,” Inyom said. “In just the first half of 2024, more than 200 people have been killed in Guma, Logo, Kwande, Gwer West, Agatu, and Apa local government areas.”

He pointed to the recent incident in Yelwata, Guma LGA, as particularly alarming, describing it as one of the deadliest episodes of violence in the state in recent times.

The coalition described the situation in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps as dire, with residents facing overcrowding, food shortages, lack of medical care, and disrupted education for children.

“These camps offer neither safety nor dignity. Children are growing up without schools. Women give birth without clinics. Our people are trapped in conditions no human being should endure,” Inyom said.

The group has called on the governments of the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union to consider granting emergency asylum or protected status to Benue’s most vulnerable displaced persons.

They referenced international legal frameworks such as the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the African Union’s Kampala Convention, urging global powers to uphold their humanitarian commitments.

“Benue State, once known as the Food Basket of the Nation, is now a zone of humanitarian distress. These attacks have become too systematic and prolonged to ignore,” the coalition said.

Without assigning blame to any particular group, the leaders expressed concern that the repeated incidents of violence appear to be targeted and called for deeper investigations and stronger protective mechanisms for vulnerable communities.

They also announced plans to engage the international community through diplomatic channels, legal submissions to human rights bodies, and partnerships with humanitarian organizations to ensure that the voices of affected populations are heard.

“We are launching a long-term campaign for justice, truth, and the right of our people to live in peace. This is not just about Benue—it is about protecting human dignity anywhere it is threatened,” the group concluded.

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