By Keem Abdul

On Thursday, 21 June 2025, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in Kaduna to inaugurate key development projects in the state by the Uba Sani-led administration, following his earlier meeting with stakeholders in Benue State, in respect to the spate of killings and wanton destruction of lives that has rocked Benue State in particular in recent months.

Held at the Government House Banquet Hall in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, the stakeholders’ meeting in Benue was graced by leading citizens of the state – including the state Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, and several of his counterparts from the North-Central geo-political zone (Kwara, Kogi, Plateau and Nasarawa) as well as from Imo and Ondo States, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume (himself a former Governor of Benue State), service chiefs, top government functionaries, political leaders and traditional rulers.

Prior to the stakeholders’ meeting, the President had visited victims of the Yelewata attack at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital earlier in the day, where he called for blood donations to support the injured.

Clearly worried by the escalating level of bloodshed threatening to engulf various flashpoints in the country, Tinubu, during the stakeholders’ meeting, dramatically called out the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ask the above question (as to why there has been no arrest in connection with the Yelewata massacre).

Turning to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, the President did not mince words, either, as he tasked the CDS and the security forces on the need for vigilance, and for closer collaboration between communities and security forces. He went on to urge heads of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to intensify surveillance and gather actionable intelligence to apprehend the perpetrators. “… We need to keep our ears to the ground,” he stressed. “Let’s get those criminals … let’s have tangible intelligence so that this will not occur again.”

Beyond military force, however (which the President made it clear was an inadequate response to the terror playing out in communities across the nation’s Middle Belt region), he announced plans to establish a Peace Committee which would include former Governors of the state, community elders, traditional rulers, federal government officials, prominent traditional rulers such as the Tor Tiv and the Och’Idoma, other key leaders, and even non-indigenes of good reputation residing in the state.

“I … want us to create this committee now,” Tinubu said at the meeting, “and then we meet in Abuja to really fashion out the nucleus for a lasting peace, and I’M READY TO INVEST IN THAT PEACE.” To this end, according to SGF Akume, the FG’s agricultural initiatives and youth employment schemes are being fast-tracked to reduce poverty and prevent crime. “Peace is a process,” he noted, “but with sustained effort, Benue will reclaim its prosperity.”
In that vein, the President advised Gov. Alia on the importance of stakeholder engagement for peaceful and progressive governance, urging him to make the most of the work of the aforementioned Peace Committee. In particular, he charged the Governor to work closely with the federal government in a bid to foster long-term peace and stability, adding that achieving sustainable peace required a united effort among all stakeholders – namely, local communities, civil society, security agencies, and traditional rulers – working to develop and implement comprehensive strategies that address root causes and promote reconciliation.

He also urged the Benue State Governor to allocate land for ranching (which involves confining cattle to specific areas with controlled grazing, with the provision of access to improved forages and reduction of the need for open grazing) and directed his Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, to follow up on the modalities of his directive.

In recommending the institutionalization of cattle ranching for Benue State (and by extension, other states – especially in the southern parts of the country, where deadly conflicts between farmers and cattle herdsmen have been ignited by incidents of cattle entering into farms, eating food and cash crops and bankrupting farm-based households and communities), President Tinubu has touched on an incredibly vexed issue. The issue of cattle ranching in Nigeria – as opposed to open grazing – has sparked debate and controversy over the years, due to concerns about land ownership, resource control, and the potential displacement of communities. Open grazing has not only led to clashes over land and resources, with devastating consequences including loss of life and property, but it has also created a tense dichotomy between the traditional nomadic lifestyle of herders and the growing need for land for agriculture and other development. Even among supporters of ranching, some communities fear that the establishment of ranches – particularly those associated with specific ethnic groups – could worsen existing security challenges and lead to further violence, especially in areas that are already suffering from the worst effects of insurgency and terrorism.
On the plus side, however, there is no gainsaying the fact that ranching offers enormous benefits in an already lucrative business. Among these benefits are improved livestock management (which allows for better management of cattle, access to veterinary services, improved breeding practices, and better feed management); the potential for increased productivity (which can boost meat and milk production); and the creation of new jobs, which can generate income and reduce the cost of meat and dairy products.

So, while proponents of ranching argue that it is a more sustainable and productive way to manage cattle, reduce conflict, and boost the economy, its opponents have repeatedly raised concerns about land rights, the potential for displacement, and the need for alternative solutions.

The issue, which came to a head during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari – and ultimately defied his government’s best efforts to resolve it – is something the Tinubu administration seems poised to tackle head-on given the administration’s understanding that a successful transition to ranching requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses social, economic, and environmental concerns. This understanding was corroborated during the stakeholders meeting by the Tor Tiv, His Royal Majesty, Orchivirigh Prof. James Ayatse, who is also the Chairman of the Benue State Traditional Rulers Council. Praising President Tinubu for being the very first sitting President of Nigeria to personally visit victims in hospital in the wake of such a tragedy, the monarch warned against the mischaracterization of the violence, saying that land grabbing was at the core of the decades-long conflict between farmers and herdsmen. “These are not … communal clashes …not reprisal attacks or skirmishes,” he emphasised. “What we are dealing with … is a calculated, well-planned, full-scale genocidal invasion and land-grabbing campaign by herder-terrorists and bandits.”

This mischaracterizing, the Tor Tiv said, has led to inadequate responses and the exploitation of the situation (especially by politicians) for selfish gain.

President Tinubu’s pain at having to visit Benue State for such a tragic reason was palpable, as he lamented that the job of offering condolences and comforting the bereaved was not exactly his idea of governance. “I wanted to come here to commission projects, to reassure you of hope and prosperity,” he said, “not to see gloomy faces… We were elected to govern, not to bury people.”

In the days following the Benue visit, the Federal Government is rolling out a multi-layered security strategy aimed at ending the recurring violence – with the aid of personnel, technology, and community intelligence.

This proactive stance is not only in line with the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda, it is also in line with his upbeat and irrepressibly optimist nature, as he refuses to accept that violence and conflict would define the narrative about Benue and other affected states for much longer. “We will find peace,” he assured at the Makurdi stakeholders’ meeting. “We will convert this tragedy to prosperity.”

While the Tinubu-led administration has been beset with criticisms following the recent surge in insecurity in Benue State, the President’s efforts towards improving security in Benue, as well as his Kaduna visit to inaugurate key development projects, further underscore his commitment to foster economic development and ensure security of lives and property, and provide a safe environment for local and international investment.

• Keem Abdul, is a public relations guru, publisher and writer, hails from Lagos. He can be reached via +2348038795377 or Akeemabdul2023@gmail.com

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