Former presidential aide and veteran journalist, Laolu Akande, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive and urgent action on the persistent killings in Benue and Plateau States, describing the continued reference to the crisis as “farmer-herder clashes” as a dangerous and misleading decoy.
Speaking during the My Take segment of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television on Sunday, the former presidential spokesman delivered a scathing critique of what he called the federal government’s failure to accurately diagnose and decisively address the violence.
“There are forces that are determined and are waging war against the free people of Nigeria in some of those states. Let us just call a spade a spade,” Akande said.
“Calling the crisis names such as farmer-herders clash is a deflection, and doing so is either an error or a strategic decoy. And just in case the federal government thinks that this situation is too far to fetch, namely that this is not genocidal, the government don’t have to take the word of the governor of Plateau State or that of Tor Tiv, both of whom have correctly told us that this is genocidal. The government has the National Human Rights Commission,” he stated.
Akande emphasized that the government must empower the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to conduct a full investigation, drawing on its existing intelligence and capacities. He said, “Let the commission be mandated, just like the executive secretary of the commission said he heard recently on his sources, be mandated to investigate and make findings. Let us as a government and a people now come together and boldly confront the callousness that has gone on for too long in those states and start by calling a spade a spade. Let different groups in our country speak out and engage on the issue.”
In a passionate appeal, Akande added, “Let us all stop pretending that this is not happening. It is happening, and we should all call this thing its name. Let us all clamor that those perpetrating this violence are criminals who should be punished. Let us all hold our political leaders responsible so that they can hold the security teams accountable. Let the security agencies ensure that they station more troops in the troubled spots and become more nimble in responding to the threats. Let the impunity end. Let the lack of justice end. Let the offenders be punished. Then, let us all raise our voices loud and clear and call for state police now or the decentralization of Nigerian police force.”
Akande cited a disturbing timeline of recent mass killings across the two states to underscore his point. He said:
“In the last few months alone, here are some of the callous and despicable killings that have occurred in Benue and Plateau States. On February 1 and 2, there was an attack on Gwer West that resulted in multiple deaths in Benue State. On February 3, a fresh military attack in Otupu, killing three people, as in Benue State. February 5, five local hunters killed in Okomaju, in Benue State. February 18, there was a Kwande massacre where 18 people were murdered, in Benue State. March 24, there was a major attack in Rui, Plateau State, leaving over a hundred people dead. March 27, another attack in Oti, Rui, burning 36 people alive, also in Plateau State. April 2, a coordinated attack in Manguna and Dafo, killing four people, at least, in Plateau State. April 13, at least 40 people killed in Zike, Basa Local Government, in Plateau State. June 15, gunmen killed at least, some figures said even close to 200, or at least 100 people in Yelewata Village, in Benue State. These are just some of the cold-blooded murders in Benue and Plateau State in 2025 only. Already exceeding several hundreds of Nigerians killed.”
Akande insisted that the pattern of attacks points to something far more sinister than what is often portrayed in official narratives, praising traditional and state leaders who have spoken candidly.
“This is why we must commend the Tor Tiv, who is also the Chairman of the Benue State Council of Chiefs, His Royal Highness, Professor James Ayatse, for saying it as it is when the President visited the state on Wednesday. At that meeting, the Tor Tiv, who is a university professor himself, he told the President, and I quote him now, ‘We do have grave concerns about the misinformation and misrepresentation of the security crisis in Benue State, Your Excellency. It is not other farmers’ clashes. It is not communal clashes. It is not reprisal attacks or skirmishes.’”
Akande further quoted the Tor Tiv: “‘The violence,’ he said, is ‘a calculated, well-planned, full-scale, genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder, terrorists and bandits that has lasted for decades.’ Is it likely that these killings have persisted partly because it is even being wrongly named? Here are what the Tor Tiv said in that same event, ‘Wrong diagnosis will always lead to wrong treatment. We are dealing with something far more sinister than we think. It is not about learning to live with your neighbors. It is dealing with a war.’”
The former presidential aide concluded his commentary with a direct challenge to President Tinubu, urging him to act decisively and make ending the killings a cornerstone of his legacy.
“Governor Hyacinth Alia made the point in the presence of the president on Wednesday, and the governor is right. Let us rise up to the occasion as a government and as a people to say enough is enough. Thank God, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu himself, he has used those words. Now, let him use the power, the force, and the influence of the office of the president to terminate this genocide because he can do it. He can do it for us as a people, and he can do it for his legacy.”
