James Umoru, the representative for Apa Constituency in the Benue State House of Assembly, has voiced deep frustration over the repeated killings in his community, blaming the tragedy on what he described as the slow response of security forces.
Speaking on The Morning Brief, a Channels Television programme, Umoru criticized military personnel and other security agents for consistently arriving at the scenes of attacks long after the perpetrators have fled.
“We have some army stationed in communities not far from where the attacks happened on Sunday, and they were not there,” he said. “It took them over two hours after the perpetrators had left before they arrived.”
The lawmaker described the recent violence in the state as “alarming” and said communities in Benue continue to live in fear due to a lack of timely protection from security forces. He emphasized that the slow security response in Benue attacks has left residents vulnerable and helpless.
According to Umoru, the most recent incident took place on Sunday in Apa Local Government Area, where more than 11 people were buried following a brutal attack. One person remains missing, and five others are currently in critical condition at a hospital.
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“The entire community has been deserted,” he said. “People have fled to save their lives.”
Umoru noted that this is far from an isolated event. “This is not the first time my local government has been attacked,” he explained. “There have been tons of killings since March this year—and even last year.”
He said the ongoing violence has devastated local farming communities, forcing many people to abandon their land. At least six council wards in Apa Local Government Area have been affected, he revealed.
“Our people are dominantly farmers. No one can go to farms in my village and about six council wards in Apa,” he said. “Even the yam they planted about 500 meters from their village—herdsmen went there, uprooted it, packed it into sacks, and took it away.”
Umoru urged both the state and federal governments to act quickly and decisively. He warned that continued silence or inaction could plunge the area into a deeper humanitarian crisis.
“The security situation in Benue is worsening,” he said. “If nothing is done urgently, things will get completely out of control.”
His comments underscore growing concerns about the slow security response in Benue attacks, which has become a central issue for residents demanding better protection and faster intervention from authorities.
Until urgent steps are taken, Umoru warned, the cycle of violence and displacement will continue—and the people of Benue will keep paying the price for the failures of the system meant to protect them.
What’s Fueling the Killings in Benue?
The Nation Digest News reports that Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has previously attributed the lingering insecurity in the state to the 1999 ECOWAS protocol on cross-border grazing. In earlier remarks, the governor described the protocol as a major contributor to violent herder incursions, displacement, and general instability in the region.
In that conversation, Governor Alia reflected on his transition from nearly 35 years of priesthood to public office. “Working in rural communities for decades gave me deep insight into the hardships people face,” he explained. “That background in service and human understanding made the shift into governance much smoother.”
He warned that the security crisis in Benue has reached critical levels, with 17 out of 23 local government areas currently accommodating displaced persons in camps. According to the governor, “The crisis can be traced back to the 1999 ECOWAS protocol, which Nigeria adopted after its initial proposal in 1975. Before 1999, herders moved seasonally without triggering major conflict. But after the adoption of the protocol, we saw a drastic shift—violent incursions, land grabbing, and large-scale displacement became rampant.”
Governor Alia further noted that the nature of pastoralism in Benue has changed. “It is no longer traditional herding,” he said. “It has become a calculated and deliberate form of invasion. These are not just spontaneous clashes. Armed attackers come in waves—first to destabilize, then others settle in with cattle.”
He added: “The 1999 ECOWAS protocol was implemented without properly weighing its security implications. The idea of open-border transhumance sounded good on paper, but in practice, it opened the door to foreign mercenaries. If the federal government could revisit and possibly reverse the protocol, it would go a long way in restoring peace to Benue and similar states.”
Governor Alia disclosed that over 1.5 million residents were displaced before his administration took office. As of June 2024, at least 500,000 are still living in camps. His administration, he noted, is working with the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to address the humanitarian crisis through a three-pronged approach: assimilation, relocation, and reintegration of displaced persons back to their ancestral homes.
Policy Gaps and Political Inaction Deepen Benue’s Crisis
Over the years, various policy initiatives have been proposed to address the persistent herder-farmer conflict that has plagued Benue and other parts of Nigeria’s Middle Belt. Among them was the controversial Ruga settlement scheme — a federal plan aimed at designating specific areas for herders to graze their livestock, with the hope of reducing tensions over land use. But the initiative was met with strong resistance from local communities and leaders who feared it would legitimize land grabbing and deepen ethnic divisions. Amid widespread backlash, the program was suspended, and with it, a potentially crucial step toward resolution was shelved.
The failure to implement such policies has had dire consequences. For many residents in rural Benue, the absence of a functional, government-backed conflict resolution framework has left communities vulnerable to recurring attacks and lawlessness. Despite countless committees, media statements, and political promises, very little has translated into lasting change on the ground.
This tragedy is not isolated. It is part of a wider pattern of violence driven by unresolved land disputes, porous borders, the spread of arms, and the failure of successive administrations to adopt a consistent and enforceable national grazing policy. Without the political will to revisit stalled initiatives or design inclusive alternatives, these systemic issues will remain unaddressed.
As tensions rise and trust in government institutions wanes, there is growing concern that Benue’s security crisis could escalate into a broader regional emergency unless comprehensive and locally sensitive solutions are urgently implemented, the Middle Belt may continue to experience waves of violence that displace thousands and undermine national stability.
In the words of one displaced elder from Guma: “We don’t want handouts. We want to go home and live in peace. But how can we, when the land itself has become a battlefield — and no one is stopping it?”
The Nation Digest News notes that over 1.5 million people have been displaced in Benue in recent years, with more than 500,000 still in camps as of mid-2024. Without bold policy shifts and committed leadership at the national level, experts warn that these numbers could rise — and the cycle of violence may become even more entrenched.
Until then, peace in Benue remains elusive, caught between politics and survival.
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