Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the government at both the state and federal levels to take urgent action to restore peace in Benue State.
Atiku stated that the violence in Benue State can no longer be ignored while those in power watch from a distance and offer shallow assurances.
Speaking in a personally signed statement made available to Naija News on Monday in which he lamented the renewed violence in Benue State, the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the people of the state have buried their loved ones in silence for a long time while their viallges and property also get destroyed but it is time for the government to end the violent attack by criminals.
He added that the citizens have called for help and are demanding the restoration of their constitutional right to life and peaceful existence.
“The bloodshed in Benue State has reached a devastating crescendo — a brutal and heart-wrenching reality that can no longer be ignored. For years, families have buried their loved ones in silence, villages have been ravaged, and communities shattered, while those in power watch from a distance, offering nothing but hollow assurances.
“How much more must the people of Benue endure before their humanity is acknowledged? Their demand is simple: to live in peace, to sleep without fear, to farm without being slaughtered, and to raise their children without the constant shadow of violence.
“When citizens take to the streets to protest this injustice, they are not inciting rebellion, they are crying for help. They are demanding what every Nigerian is constitutionally entitled to: the right to life and the protection of that life by the state. But what do they receive in return? Tear gas. Brutality. Disdain. It is pouring hot oil on an open wound.
“To unleash force on grieving, defenseless citizens is not governance, it is cruelty. It is a betrayal of the sacred duty of leadership. What kind of government meets a cry for safety with the barrel of a gun and a canister of gas,? Atiku queried.
Government Must Respond
Speaking further, the PDP chieftain accused the government of silence in the face of the killing of citizens and called on those in authority to stop turning a blind eye to the suffering of the people.
“The silence, the indifference, the lack of urgency, it is all damning. It speaks to a deeper rot in the conscience of leadership, a frightening normalisation of violence against the very people they swore to protect.
“This is a call to conscience to every leader at both the federal and state levels: stop turning a blind eye while Benue drowns in blood. Stop offering condolences and start offering solutions. Work with security agencies, deploy resources, and craft a security architecture that prioritizes human lives over political optics.
“Benue is not alone. From Plateau to Zamfara, Kaduna to Taraba; the cries are the same. Nigerians are bleeding and begging to be heard.
“We urge the people not to be silenced. Raise your voices. Demand accountability. Demand justice. Demand a government that sees you, hears you, and protects you.
“History will not be kind to those who chose power over people. The time to act is now,” Atiku concluded.
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