Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has strongly condemned the recent wave of violence in Benue State, denouncing what it described as the “cold indifference” of federal and state authorities and the paralysis of security forces amid a deepening humanitarian crisis.
In a statement signed by its Media and Communication Officer, Robert Egbe, CAPPA described the killing of over 200 people in the Yelewata and Daudu communities of Guma Local Government Area as a “senseless massacre” and an “appalling new low in human cruelty.”
According to eyewitness accounts cited by the organisation, the attacks began in the early hours of Saturday, when armed assailants—suspected to be herders—stormed Yelewata, setting fire to shelters housing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) after dousing them with petrol. In a separate assault on Daudu, at least five security personnel, including both police officers and soldiers, were reportedly killed.
“The atrocity defies comprehension,” CAPPA stated. “It is the latest in a cycle of unrelenting violence that has plagued Benue State for decades. What once may have been framed as resource conflicts between agrarian communities and pastoralists has now metastasized into a calculated campaign of terror.”
The group warned that the ramifications of the killings extend far beyond the affected communities, calling them symptomatic of a deeper collapse in Nigeria’s security architecture and a failure of governance at all levels.
CAPPA also criticised the police’s response to peaceful protests held by grieving residents, accusing officers of exacerbating tensions by firing tear gas at demonstrators. “Such brutality compounds the initial crime, signalling that the security apparatus is either unwilling or unable to distinguish between victim and perpetrator,” the statement read.
Both the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia and the federal government came under heavy fire in the CAPPA release, which labelled their repeated security assurances as “hollow rhetoric” with little tangible effect on the ground.
To address the crisis, CAPPA called for the immediate convening of a joint federal-state security summit, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Alia. The summit, the organisation said, should establish a dedicated task force mandated to disarm and dismantle herder militias, apprehend perpetrators, and ensure swift and transparent trials.
The group also advocated for the creation of community-led peace councils comprising both farmers and herders, tasked with negotiating land-use agreements, mediating disputes, and preventing violence. Complementary reforms should include a national push for modern ranching systems and compulsory livestock registration to eliminate the need for open grazing.
CAPPA further urged the federal government to establish a victims’ compensation fund to support affected families in Yelewata and other conflict zones. Survivors, the group insisted, must receive trauma counselling and material aid to rebuild their lives.
In a sharp rebuke of the Nigeria Police Force, the organisation demanded a formal apology for the use of tear gas on mourners and called for the adoption of protest response protocols grounded in dialogue and respect for civil liberties.
CAPPA concluded with a stark warning: “Without urgent and sustained intervention, Benue State risks spiralling into a cycle of recrimination and retribution so entrenched that peace will remain forever elusive.
“If all Nigerians are equal, then the right to life must be guaranteed for every citizen.”
