Human Right Groups Decry Benue Killings, Call on FG to Act Decisively 

* Tinubu sues for peace

Yinka Olatunbosun 

The recent attacks in Benue State, Nigeria, which have resulted in significant loss of life and displacement, has ignited outrage online and on the streets of Makurdi, the state capital.

According to a report by Amnesty International, gunmen launched a coordinated attack on Yelewata village in Benue State’s Guma area, killing at least 100 people. The attack occurred between late Friday and early Saturday, June 13 and 14.

It was widely reported that the death toll may exceed 200, with many families burned inside their bedrooms and dozens still missing. Hundreds were injured while many survivors are without adequate medical care.

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has sent a delegation to offer support to relatives of the victims. However, the state government has faced criticism for allegedly suppressing peaceful protests that erupted in the wake of the killings.

Indeed, protests broke out in Makurdi, the state capital, with youths blocking major highways and demanding justice and protection. The police had allegedly arrested 14 people in connection with the protests, which were allegedly hijacked by hoodlums.

It is believed that the attacks may have been linked to herders, with some reports suggesting foreign mercenaries may have been involved. The police have also arrested 33 individuals from northern Nigeria who were attempting to take residence in a private property in Makurdi.

The incident has since sparked widespread outrage, with calls for President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Benue State.

On X (formerly known as Twitter), a tweep @BI_TINLAYE wrote: “Those horrible videos I watched about that innocent 200 citizens of Benue Nigeria that got massacred is the most saddest videos ever, like why can’t the government declare the state of emergency in that state?”

Another tweep @NelsonSplendid1 wrote: “Why should the government rehabilitate people who deliberately killed innocent children? What crime did these little children commit that warranted their massacre by Fulani herdsmen? A state of emergency should be declared in Benue to end this pogrom now.”

Human rights organisations have also warned that unchecked violence in the region could spiral into a wider ethnic in the wake of the killings.

Amnesty International has described the incident as “horrifying,” criticizing the Nigerian authorities for failing to curb the violence. It demanded an immediate end to the “almost daily bloodshed” and swift justice for the perpetrators.

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) warned that Nigeria is on the brink of a full-scale ethnic war if the government fails to act decisively. It condemned the massacre of over 200 people in Benue State by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen.

Initiative for Human Rights and Gender Awareness (IHRGA) has started a petition on online calling for an end to the Benue killings. It shared its concerns using hashtags #StopBenueKillings #SaveBenue #JusticeForYelewata.

These organizations have expressed concern over the Nigerian government’s inability to protect its citizens and prevent such attacks. They also highlighted the need for urgent action to prevent further loss of life and livelihood.

Meanwhile, President Tinubu has issued a press statement in reaction to the onslaught in Benue State.

He said: “Enough is enough! I have directed the security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict, and prosecute them. Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.

“This is the time for Governor Alia to act as a statesman and immediately lead the process of dialogue and reconciliation that will bring peace to Benue. Our people must live in peace, and it is possible when leaders across the divides work together in harmony and differences are identified and addressed with fairness, openness and justice.”

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    Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

    Former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili, has urged President Bola Tinubu-led federal government to invest more on the health sector an increase the salaries of health workers to reduce brain drain witnessed in the country’s health sector.

     Odili, who made the appeal yesterday, at the Induction/Oath-taking of 65 newly graduated medical doctors from PAMO University of Medical Sciences (PUMS), Port Harcourt, Rivers State, lauded President Tinubu for his bold intentions in the health sector.

     This was as the Chief Executive Officer of Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Prof Fatima Kyari,  has commended the management of Pamo University for their commitment to shaping the healthcare system.

    In his opening remarks,  Dr Odili, who is the founder and Pro-Chancellor of the institution, disclosed  that PUMS has produced over 330 healthcare professionals in less than eight years of its existence.

    Odili observed that if other institutions across the country could move at the same pace as PUMS, the country would have enough medical practitioners and would not be affected by an unprecedented exodus abroad for greener pastures.

    He said: “Let me use this opportunity, Madam Registrar, as the contact, to thank Mr. President for his broad initiative in the health sector. We congratulate him and we urge him to pay very special attention to the training of health professionals because they hold the key to national health. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation. 

    “We must be healthy first before wealth. So, congratulate him (Tinubu) and urge the federal government to invest more and also look at the review of the remuneration of health workers. That way, we would be killing two birds with a stone.”

    Odili continued: “It gives us immeasurable pleasure and gratitude to Almighty God for the progress PUMS has recorded in less than eight years of its existence.

    “Today, we are inducting the third set of doctors. And PUMS in this short period of existence,  has added not less than 330 healthcare professionals. You can imagine what would happen when all the other schools across the country move at the pace PUMS is moving. Nobody will worry about who moves, running away with japa or whatever they call it, looking for greener pastures.”

    Odili thanked Rivers State Government for initiating a scholarship scheme for the indigenes studying medical sciences in the university and charged other state governments across the country, to emulate the Rivers government and provide a platform for their indigenes to achieve their career dreams in the medical sciences. 

    “If other states start doing what Rivers is doing, nobody will worry about Japa, looking for greener pastures. If  you have more than enough (health professionals), you won’t miss those who are leaving.

    “So, let me use this opportunity to thank the Rivers State Government, especially the governor, Siminalayi Fubara, for the initiative and sustenance of the scholarships for students who are indigenes. 

    “We urge other states to copy the Rivers State government, because at the end of it, you would have laid the foundation for good health across the country,” Odili stressed. 

    Inducting the graduates, Registrar of MDCN, Prof Kyari stated that there has been no compromise in the induction of the MDCN, noting that the graduates merited the oath taking.

    She urged the graduates to be good ambassadors of the institution and the council, adding that they “should be mindful of the significance of your contribution in the health sector.” 

    Prof Kyari further advised them to see their field of career as a calling and not a profession, warning that any person who indulges in any unwholesome practice would be sanctioned accordingly by the council.

    She commended  Odili for giving women the competitive edge in the institution, noting that “At Pamo University, the span has grown from strength to strength.”

    Speaking on the topic, “The Doctor – Honouring a Calling, Not Just a Profession,” the induction lecturer, a professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, Prof John Ikimalo, advised the graduates to see medical practice as a calling, rather than a profession.

    He warned that the medical profession risked being seen as a trade when a practitioner only sees it as a source of wealth acquisition, urging the graduates not to lose their sense of humanity or abuse the trust that patients repose in them.

    “As a doctor, you’re not just treating a disease; you’re treating a human being who has a disease. You’re treating a family, a community, a nation. Never lose that sense of human connection. Wherever you go, you must go with that calling. Patients trust you simply because you’re a doctor. Trust is a privilege which only doctors have. Patients will pull off their clothes, tell you their secrets, even the secrets of their unborn babies. Please, honour that trust,” he said.

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    Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt Former Governor of Rivers State, Dr Peter Odili, has urged President Bola Tinubu-led federal government to invest more on the health sector an increase the salaries

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