* Says it’s stain on collective conscience
Following thee latest massacre of innocent civilians by arm-wielding herdsmen, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has attributed the unabating killings to failure of leadership, adding that such a gory incident is a stain on the collective conscience of Nigeria as a country.
Obi condemned described the massacre of women, children, and soldiers as a national tragedy that demands urgent intervention.
In a statement in his X handle on Sunday, the former Anambra State Governor expressed deep sorrow over the reported killing of over 200 people in a single attack, lamenting the destruction of homes and the displacement of entire communities.
“My heart is heavy as I learn of yet another horrific series of killings in Benue. This tragedy has become too common in our national life, and the Benue situation now calls for a national emergency,” Obi wrote.
He criticized what he called a recurring failure of leadership, stressing that the Nigerian government at all levels has a constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
“This is not merely violence. It is a failure of leadership, a stain on our collective conscience. We cannot accept the normalisation of mass killing. It is intolerable”, he wrote.
Obi assured the residents of Benue that their suffering is shared by many Nigerians.
“To the people of Benue, I say: your pain is our pain. The blood of your loved ones cries out for justice,” he stated.
He urged relevant authorities to go beyond symbolic gestures and take concrete, decisive actions to end the bloodshed and restore peace in the region.
“A safe, secure Benue is not too much to ask; it is our moral duty, our national duty. This is not the Nigeria we deserve, nor the Nigeria we aspire to. We must end this bloodshed. We must reclaim our humanity”, he added.
Gunmen last week launched brutal night‑time attack on Yelewata, Guma local government area of Benue State. At least 100 people were killed, dozens are missing and hundreds many injured.
Survivors recount residents being locked in their homes and burned alive along with their shelters.
The assault left entire villages in ashes, rendering countless families homeless and bereft of basic necessities.
Early on June 3, separate coordinated attacks killed about 30 people across communities in Gwer West and Apa LGAs, with local officials and police reporting slightly differing figures
This bloodshed fits into a broader pattern of farmer–herder violence centered on land and water disputes, aggravated by ethnic and religious tensions.
Since February 2025, waves of Fulani militia attacks have displaced tens of thousands, especially around Otukpo, Gwer West, Ukum, Logo, and Katsina‑Ala
Amnesty International reports that nearly 6,900 people have been killed in Benue over the past two years, alongside the burning of clinics, schools, boreholes and the destruction of villages.
