Call them terrorists, not herders, north-central group tells FG over Benue killings

The North Central Peace Advocates (NCPA) has described the rising wave of violence in Benue as a politically motivated campaign of terror, insisting that the perpetrators are not herders but foreign-backed terrorists.

In a statement issued on Monday, Frank Utor, coordinator of the group, said hundreds have been killed and entire communities displaced in what he termed “a systematic effort to destabilise Benue and other parts of the north-central”.

“The killings in Benue are not herder-farmer clashes. That narrative is false and dangerously misleading,” Utor said.

He argued that the attackers are not genuine herders, noting that they are organised terror cells with international backing who steal cattle, wreak havoc, and retreat to hidden camps.

“The killers do not rear cattle. They rustle them from legitimate herders to fund their operations. They ride on motorcycles, armed with sophisticated weapons,” he added.

He said misrepresenting these acts as mere communal clashes has given room for decades of inaction and weakened Nigeria’s ability to respond.

“Successive governments have misdiagnosed the crisis, calling terrorists by wrong names and undermining the severity of the threat,” Utor said.

“This deliberate mischaracterisation is the biggest obstacle to peace. It denies our security agencies the legal and operational clarity to act.”

He insisted that describing the terrorists as herders or bandits only serves to blur the reality of a deep-rooted security crisis.

“They are not bandits. They are not herders. They are foreign-backed armed insurgents. That is who they are,” he said.

Utor also criticised calls for the Benue government to dialogue with the attackers, saying such a position amounts to abandoning the state to its fate.

“Asking the state government to dialogue with mass murderers is akin to abdicating the federal government’s responsibility to protect lives and ensure justice,” he said.

He warned that the purpose of the persistent attacks is to sow chaos and erode trust in government.

“This war has raged for over 15 years, yet no government has summoned the political will to identify and crush the perpetrators,” he said.

Utor praised the efforts of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to restore peace but urged the government to take a firm stance.

“Unless the government calls this war what it is and gives the security agencies the directive to treat it as such, the killings will continue and dialogue will remain fruitless,” he said.

On Monday, former Senate President David Mark said the “failure” of the federal government to address attacks in Benue state could force residents to resort to self-help.

Mark said the recurring attacks in the state have left many communities devastated, with many lives lost and properties destroyed.