With the shocking revelation by the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, that no suspect has been arrested for the killings in the state despite the massive deployment of security agents, it has become imperative for President Bola Tinubu and the service chiefs to probe the alleged complicity of some of the heads of security agencies in the state in the ethnic cleansing, reports

A recent shocking claim by Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State that security agents have failed to apprehend even a single suspect in the mindless killings in the state has again validated the allegation by a former Minister of Defence, Lt. Gen. Theophilus Danjuma that the military was colluding with the killers.

The mass murder of Benue State residents by suspected herdsmen, who are on alleged mission of ethnic cleansing, has escalated despite the heavy presence of several military and police formations in the state, including the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Tactical Air Command (TAC); the Joint Task Force (JTF) Operation WHIRL STROKE; and the 401 Special Forces Brigade.

In the most recent attack, 42 persons- including a police officer- were murdered by armed herdsmen in Gwer West Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

This came less than 24 hours after a priest was shot in the area and the occupants of his house whisked away by the invaders.

The latest attack, which started at the Aondona community, where 20 persons were killed, spilt over to Ahumbe, Tyolaha and Tse Orbiam, where about 22 persons were murdered by the marauders very close to a military checkpoint.

The Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Mr. Victor Ormin had reportedly described the attack as a genocide.

“Aondona community is the home of the former First Lady of this state, Mrs Eunice Ortom; this is the village of the Tor Gwer; this is the village of the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe. This is too much for me to condone,” Ormin added.

In an apparent confirmation of the suspicion that some soldiers in the state are allegedly shielding the killers, Ormin was quoted in media reports as saying: “The soldiers stationed in the area will tell you straight that they do not have the mandate to act on this; they can only engage these people (killers) when they fire at them (soldiers). They told me practically that even the governor does not have the powers to order them on this. It is only the president of the country, and that is very clear.”

According to him, “the soldiers are waiting for the orders and the mandate to do what they have to do, which have not been given.”

The question agitating the minds of Nigerians are: Why are the soldiers not given the mandate to attack the foreign herdsmen who are killing residents and taking over their ancestral lands? Were the soldiers deployed to watch the extermination of the people and shield the killers?

The angry chairman, who in a viral video, threatened to quit his position, disclosed that “a mobile policeman, identified as Magaji, was killed yesterday. He had dedicated his whole life to service; he was always at that junction along Naka Road, whether he had bullets or not.

“Yesterday, when they came, they said he had finished his ammunition and was scouting for people to leave, and Magaji was killed yesterday. This is genocide.”

Governor Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sir Kula Tersoo, recently cried out that not a single terrorist had been apprehended despite the deployment of more security personnel to the state.

The governor was reacting to criticisms by a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC), loyal to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

The APC faction, while referring to the attacks, which claimed 42 lives, accused Alia of being helpless and confused, and called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene.

Reacting to the criticisms, the governor’s media aide queried: “What more do they expect from the governor?”

According to him, the governor has worked tirelessly to address the security crisis.

“More security personnel have been deployed, yet, sadly, no terrorist has been arrested. The governor has supported these operations by providing 300 motorcycles to ease the mobility of the security forces.”

According to him, the current crisis is worse than the attacks witnessed during former Governor Samuel Ortom’s administration or the crisis during Akume’s tenure when people from Taraba and Nasarawa states invaded Benue State.

With the failure of the military to confront the armed herders, it was not surprising that Danjuma, whose state was an epicentre of the killings had repeatedly voiced out his frustrations by the alleged partisan role played by the military.

Danjuma had accused the military of colluding with the killers and asked his people to defend themselves against the attackers.

Following the perceived failure of the military to confront the killers, the Tiv and Idoma ethnic nationalities who are the most affected in the ethnic cleansing, have ordered herdsmen to vacate their lands.

The Tiv Area Traditional Council ordered all herders to vacate Tiv lands by the end of May 2025.

The resolution followed an emergency meeting held at the palace of the Tor Tiv in Gboko, presided over by His Royal Majesty, Orcivirigh Professor James Ortese Iorzua Ayatse.

In a communiqué signed by the council’s secretary, Shinyi Tyozua, the traditional leaders expressed grave concern over the killings by armed herders, particularly in Kwande, Katsina-Ala, Logo, Ukum, Guma, Makurdi, Gwer-West, Gwer-East and Buruku LGAs.

Also, following the wanton killings in the southern Senatorial District of the state by armed herders, the Idoma Area Traditional Council (IATC), ordered the herders to vacate the zone to enable farmers to commence cultivation of crops.

The IATC issued the order in a resolution signed by the Council Secretary, Uloko Adegbe, at the end of its emergency meeting with Local Government Council Chairmen in Idoma land, presided over by the Och’Idoma, HRM Dr. John Odogbo, in Otukpo.

Reacting to the recent killing of 42 people, Governor Alia, through Tersoo, threw his weight behind the resolution of the Tiv and Idoma traditional rulers.

If the reported claim by the Chairman of Gwer West LGA, Mr. Ormin that the soldiers told him that they did not have the mandate to engage the armed herdsmen unless the herdsmen open fire on them is true, then the allegation that some security agents in the state were supervising the killings may be true.

With these revelations, President Tinubu; the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa; the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Olufemi Olatubosun Oluyede; the Inspector General of Police (IG), Kayode Egbetokun, and other service chiefs should probe military and police operations in the state and bring to book the military commanders shielding and aiding the killers.