• Tinubu decries Benue killings, donates N1b to victims

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has stated that the country’s current security architecture is inadequate to curtail the pervasive insecurity in the land.

He made the submission in his address during the visit of the wife of the President, Oluremi Tinubu, yesterday, who was in the state to console the people over the recent massacre at Yelwata.
 
The governor also decried the high number of displaced people due to the crisis, and canvassed the establishment of state police as a solution to the endemic security challenge.  
 
He said: “The current security architecture has not proven sufficient in curbing the incessant attacks on our communities. A decentralised, locally rooted policing structure will greatly enhance intelligence gathering, swift response and accountability. It is time for Nigeria to embrace state police as a practical and necessary step towards security of lives, property and peace across the nation.”

Alia appealed to the First Lady to champion the domestication of the anti-open grazing and ranches establishment law across the North Central states.
 
He observed that a regional approach to the law would ensure consistency in enforcement and eliminate safe havens for violators.
 
Speaker of the House of Assembly, Aondona Dajoh, described the visit as “a demonstration of true leadership and concern for the plight of Nigerians, especially the victims of violence in the state.”
 
In his own speech, the Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty Ortese Ayatse, also lamented the killings. He called on security agencies to act decisively in flushing out violent herders from the state, warning that the continued inaction could escalate the crisis beyond Benue.

On her part, the President’s wife described the carnage as heartbreaking and avoidable. 
  
While appealing for calm and reconciliation, she urged residents to embrace dialogue and eschew violence.  
 
Mrs Tinubu emphasised that peace was the foundation for growth and development in any community or nation, adding that Benue’s strategic role as the nation’s food basket must not be undermined.
 
Responding to appeals from state officials and community leaders, the First Lady pledged to convey their concerns to President Bola Tinubu and relevant federal authorities.

To support the recovery process, Senator Tinubu, on behalf of the Renewed Hope Initiative, presented a cheque of N1 billion to Governor Alia for the rehabilitation and resettlement of victims of the attacks.

She expressed hope that the fund would help the affected communities “get back on their feet and restore their livelihoods.”