A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Godwin Ityoachimin, has decried the arrest of youths who staged a peaceful protest against the killings and destruction of properties by suspected herders in Benue State.

In a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, Ityoachimin noted that it is unfortunate that youths who took to the streets in protest, expressing their pains and demand for justice, were met with state-sponsored intimidation as armed security operatives were deployed not to defend the people against attackers, but to suppress their voices.

“This act is a shameful affront to democratic values and human dignity. A government that turns its guns on its people while leaving communities unguarded against external attackers has completely lost the plot,” he said

He maintained that the Benue people deserve protection and not silence, pointing out that leadership is not intimidation nor excuses

He called for the stoppage of the blame game by those entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the lives and properties of the people of Benue State, claiming that it is most disheartening and unacceptable that the Benue State Government has a glaring inability, and in many respects, an unwillingness to protect its citizens.

He argued that the silence, inaction, blame game, and now evident insensitivity from those in power amount to complicity, adding that when a government fails to fulfil its foremost duty of safeguarding lives and property, it loses its moral and constitutional legitimacy.

Ityoachimin, who aspired for the Benue State governorship seat in the 2023 poll, called for concerted efforts by relevant authorities to end the killings and bring the perpetrators to book

Decrying the continued brutal killings of citizens of the state by armed herders, he said the development remains a devastating blow to the collective conscience of the state and the nation.

The APC chieftain called on the state government to, as a matter of urgency, establish a permanent community security force, equip and legally empower local vigilante groups and community defence teams under proper oversight to complement formal security structures.

He suggested that the government should institutionalise state policing by renewing constitutional advocacy for the creation of a Benue State Police to enable timely, localised, and effective responses to security threats.

The use of technology-driven surveillance, he noted, is important, as deploying drones in vulnerable communities will help tackle the menace, as well as establishing a rapid-response system in rural communities, particularly in border areas.

“The government should establish a Security Accountability Framework by creating a task force to regularly monitor, audit, and report the effectiveness of security deployments and response times in high-risk LGAs.

“Government should take proactive steps like Community-Based Peace building Initiatives to facilitate continuous inter-community dialogue, truth-telling forums, and mediation efforts involving traditional rulers, youth groups, and civil society.

Ityoachimin further underscored the need to enhance victim support and reconstruction programs that would provide immediate relief, resettlement, and psychological support to survivors, while developing long-term plans for rebuilding affected communities.

“Let me make bold to say that our people cannot be silenced, and their blood will not be forgotten. I stand in solidarity with every family mourning today, and with every citizen whose voice has been stifled by oppression and fear,” he said

While urging the state government to live up to its promises to the citizens, Ityoachimin reminded those in power that history will not be kind to leaders who watched their citizens die in silence and turned weapons on those who dared to speak.

“We must act now decisively and collectively to ensure this nightmare does not become our norm,” he said.