Yelewata Massacre: Benue Indigenes in Diaspora Write Tinubu, Makes 6 Key Demands

• Diaspora leaders from Benue state have condemned recent mass killings in the region, describing them as coordinated ethnic cleansing
• They criticised the Nigerian government for its inadequate response, rejecting presidential aide Bayo Onanuga's remarks that labelled the violence as “reprisal” in a farmer-herder conflict
• The leaders issued six urgent demands to President Tinubu, warning that further neglect could destabilise the region

Benue - Leaders of Benue communities in the diaspora have strongly condemned a spate of deadly attacks in Nigeria’s central region, describing the violence as a "silent genocide" against indigenous populations and urging President Bola Tinubu to act swiftly.

The condemnation follows the June 14 massacre in Yelewata, Guma local government area of Benue state, where more than 200 people were reportedly killed by suspected armed herders. The diaspora leaders criticised what they described as a lack of federal response and mischaracterisation of the crisis.

Outrage over “reprisal” comments

In an open letter jointly signed by Professor Akaa D. Ayangeakaa, representing Tiv people abroad, and Chief Edwin Ochai, representing the Idoma diaspora, the leaders expressed anger over recent comments by presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga, who labelled the attacks as “reprisals” in a “farmer-herder conflict.”

“This is not a communal clash,” the letter stated. “To describe it as such is misleading and emboldens perpetrators of ethnic cleansing.”

They called Onanuga’s remarks “offensive and disheartening,” accusing him of trivialising a campaign of targeted killings, land dispossession, and mass displacement.

Beneu crisis: Killings across multiple LGAs

Citing recent attacks in Ukum, Apa, Otukpo, Agatu, Gwer West, Logo, Kwande, and Makurdi, the letter detailed what the diaspora groups say are planned and repeated assaults on farming communities. They said over 70 people were killed in Ukum in May, and entire villages have been razed in a wave of violence.

“These were not crossfire deaths. These were executions. Families wiped out. Homes burned. Survivors traumatised,” the leaders wrote.

They also said over two million people in Benue are now internally displaced, living in overcrowded camps without basic necessities.

Rejection of reconciliation narrative

The letter sharply rejected President Tinubu’s reported directive asking the Benue state governor to initiate reconciliation talks between “warring parties.”

“We are not at war,” the diaspora leaders said. “We are under attack. Dialogue cannot happen when one side is armed and the other is being buried.”

The groups emphasised that no arrests have been made, and no herder has been prosecuted, calling the lack of justice a “betrayal” and an “abdication of constitutional responsibility.”

Benue crisis: Demands for urgent action

The diaspora leaders issued six key demands, including:

• Public condemnation of the attacks by the Presidency
• Deployment of federal security forces to high-risk LGAs
• An independent probe into security failures during the Yelewata massacre
• A federal resettlement and reconstruction plan
• Recovery of ancestral lands under illegal occupation
• A structured dialogue between the federal government and Benue stakeholders

They also questioned why the federal response has been tepid compared to similar incidents in other regions, warning that “continued neglect could further destabilise the region.”

“This is terrorism, not conflict” - Benue leaders

The letter included emotional testimonies, citing children burned alive and families murdered in their homes. It insisted the government must stop equating victims and perpetrators under a false narrative of communal conflict.

“This is not about farmers and herders. This is terrorism. This is ethnic cleansing,” they wrote.

Presidential visit expected

The letter acknowledged reports that President Tinubu plans to visit Benue on Wednesday, June 18, after cancelling a previously scheduled trip to Kaduna. However, the diaspora leaders urged the President not to allow the visit to be symbolic only.

“Let this be the moment when justice, compassion, and decisive leadership emerged,” the letter concluded. “The Nigerian people, and posterity, are watching.”

Benue declares holiday over Tinubu's visit

Meanwhile, the Benue state government has declared Wednesday, June 18, a work-free day. The declaration was announced in a statement by Mrs Deborah Aber, the secretary to the state government.

The work-free day in Benue is to honour President Bola Tinubu, who is visiting the crisis-hit state on Wednesday.

Tinubu is expected to hold a town hall meeting with all stakeholders during the visit.

Source: Legit.ng