•Group urges probe of killings
Following ongoing violent attacks and killings by armed herders and gunmen, human rights activist, Femi Falana (SAN), has called on President Bola Tinubu to restore law and order in Benue and Plateau states.
He expressed concerns over the continued bloodshed, attributing the crisis to the federal and state government’s failure to implement the ban on open grazing across the federation.
He recalled that the Northern Governors Forum banned open grazing in February 2021, while the Southern Governors Forum outlawed the practice in May 2021.
“In 2022, the Federal Government adopted ranching to solve the violent clashes between herders and farmers. Because of the failure of the Federal Government and the 36 state governments to implement the ban on open grazing, hundreds of people have been killed by armed herders and other gunmen,” Falana said.
He urged the President to direct the 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army in Jos, and the AIG Zone 4 of the Nigeria Police Force in Jos to restore law and order in Benue and Plateau without further delay.
RELATEDLY, the Action Group on Free Civic Space (AGFCS) called on the Federal Government to decisively address the situation.
The appeal was contained in a statement signed by Vision Spring Initiatives, Open Arms Initiative for Sustainable Development, Foundation for Environmental Rights Advocacy and Development (FENRAD Nigeria), Centre for Citizens with Disabilities and Spaces for Change (S4C) after a Zoom meeting, yesterday. About 30 organisations were in attendance.
According to AGFCS, wanton killings should not replace social order, as it called for immediate intervention in the humanitarian crisis in the state.
The call followed the most gruesome attacks on lives and properties that rocked Plateau in recent times. The most recent occurred in the early hours of Monday, April 14, 2025, when gunmen attacked Zikke and Kimapa villages in Bassa district, killing 51 persons.
The statement reads: “Section 14 (2) (b) of the Constitution states that the security of lives and property is the primary responsibility of the government. The gruesome killing of indigenes not only runs contrary to this purpose but constitutes a brazen violation of their fundamental rights to life and ownership of immovable property.
“Gunmen have become emboldened through the frequency of their attacks, amid assurances from the state and federal governments, while innocent and powerless civilians bear the brunt of these vicious attacks. This simply means that there are not enough words. Immediate measures must be taken to address these attacks head-on.”
AGFCS is a coalition of civic society organisations, journalists and activists working collaboratively to safeguard Nigeria’s civic space.
It added: “Thorough investigation and adequate measures should be rolled out to apprehend the masterminds and perpetrators of these violent crimes and ensure that repeated attacks do not occur, with adequate security afforded to the district.
“As we commend the swift erection of humanitarian camps to assist the victims, we also call for swift intervention to ensure that these victims are resettled soon.”
