The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has criticised the Presidency’s response to the mass killings in Benue State, describing it as disgraceful and disconnected from the grim reality on the ground.
In a statement issued yesterday, CUPP National Secretary, Chief Peter Ameh, expressed disappointment over the government’s calls for the arrest of “perpetrators on all sides” and its advocacy for “dialogue and reconciliation” as a path to peace in Benue.
“The Presidency has failed to identify these perpetrators, yet proposes negotiations as if the victims share responsibility for their own massacres,” CUPP stated.
Ameh contended that the suggestion of dialogue with those responsible for slaughtering innocent men, women, and children, and destroying entire communities, is both impractical and insulting to the victims.
Equally concerning, according to CUPP, is the President’s assertion that “political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.”
“This misplacement of blame suggests that the true threat lies in the words of grieving communities rather than the actions of terrorists systematically wiping out entire villages,” the coalition stated.
CUPP argued that the people of Benue are victims of a deliberate campaign of extermination, not participants in a mutual conflict. The group criticised what it termed the administration’s attempt to frame the killings as a two-sided dispute, calling it dishonest and an insult to the memory of those who have died.
The coalition demanded an unequivocal condemnation of the terrorist acts, immediate action to protect vulnerable communities, and justice for the victims. It rejected what it described as “empty calls for dialogue and blame-shifting that emboldens perpetrators.”
“The people of Benue deserve better. The people of North Central deserve better. Nigeria must stand against this genocide with clarity and resolve, not platitudes and excuses,” the statement concluded.
