APC chieftain Godwin Ityoachimin has criticized the brutal killings of Benue State residents by suspected armed herders.
He recently shared that the heartless bloodshed is a devastating blow to the collective conscience of the nation.
Speaking via a press statement, Godwin called for quick intervention by relevant authorities to end the killings and bring the perpetrators to book.
According to him, any form of silence, inaction, or blame game by those in power will only signify complicity henceforth.
“The killing of our people, defenceless men, women, and children by suspected herdsmen militia is a devastating blow to the collective conscience of our state and nation.
What is most disheartening and unacceptable is the glaring inability—and in many respects, unwillingness—of the Benue State Government to protect its citizens. The silence, inaction, blame game and now evident insensitivity from those in power amounts to complicity,” he said.
He further noted that a government that fails to perform its fundamental duty of safeguarding lives and property will eventually lose its legitimacy.
He concluded by advocating for state policing to tackle the incessant attacks on Benue communities over the years.
“When a government fails to rise to its foremost duty of safeguarding lives and property, it loses its moral and constitutional legitimacy.
This act is a shameful affront to democratic values and human dignity. A government that turns its guns on its own people while leaving communities unguarded against external attackers has completely lost the plot.
The government should establish a Security Accountability Framework by creating a task force to regularly monitor, audit, and report the effectiveness of security deployments and response times in high-risk LGAs.
Government should take proactive steps like Community-Based Peacebuilding Initiatives to facilitate continuous inter-community dialogue, truth-telling forums, and mediation efforts involving traditional rulers, youth groups, and civil society.
Let me make bold to say that our people cannot be silenced, and their blood will not be forgotten. I stand in solidarity with every family mourning today, and with every citizen whose voice has been stifled by oppression and fear.
We must act now decisively and collectively to ensure this nightmare does not become our norm” he added.
