By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
OVER 200 lives were lost in Yelewata and Daudu communities of Benue State, triggering an outcry from Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA), which slammed the federal and state governments for what it termed cold indifference and a paralysed security response.
The organisation denounced the slaughter as an “appalling new low in human cruelty.”
The carnage unfolded over the weekend, when armed assailants suspected to be herders launched coordinated assaults across Guma Local Government Area.
Witnesses described a horrifying scene in Yelewata, where internally displaced persons’ shelters were doused in petrol and torched during a violent two-hour attack. Simultaneously, a second group struck Daudu, killing five security operatives including policemen and soldiers.
CAPPA lamented the brutality, asserting that the violence went far beyond traditional land or grazing disputes, instead representing a deliberate campaign of terror aimed at systematically erasing entire communities.
The organisation warned that the scale and frequency of attacks indicate a breakdown in Nigeria’s security architecture and a dereliction of constitutional duties by those in power.
The crisis deepened when grief-stricken residents took to the streets in protest, only to be met with tear gas fired by police.
CAPPA condemned the use of force, arguing it further victimised mourning communities and affirmed the apparent inability of law enforcement to differentiate between aggressors and survivors.
Governor Hyacinth Alia and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu came under heavy criticism for what CAPPA described as hollow rhetoric and empty assurances.
The group called for a robust federal-state security summit, tasking a joint force with disarming herder militias and prosecuting their leaders in fair, fast-tracked trials.
CAPPA emphasised the importance of civil society participation and local accountability in such operations to prevent future abuses.
It proposed the formation of elected peace councils within at-risk communities, comprising both farmers and herders, to address disputes and mediate tensions before they escalate.
On a broader scale, the organisation urged the federal government to implement compulsory livestock registration and develop nationwide ranching systems to end open grazing.
CAPPA further demanded the establishment of a victims’ compensation fund, access to trauma counselling for survivors, and formal police apologies for the teargas incident.
The statement concluded with a stern warning: unless immediate action is taken, Benue State risks becoming locked in a cycle of violence and revenge.
CAPPA declared that the right to life must be upheld equally for all Nigerians, without exception.
