By Taiwo Olapade
THE VISIT by President Bola Tinubu to Benue State has continued to generate reactions. For many, the President’s visit came a bit late since it occurred days after the massacre of innocent and armless citizens of Yelewata in Guma Local Government Area of the state.
For others, it was still better late than never. For the record, over 150 people were given mass burial, scores with life-threatening injuries are receiving treatment in the hospitals, and thousands rendered homeless after the dastardly act by the merchants of death and enemies of the state.
The President stunned the Town Hall meeting when he asked the IG of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, why no arrest has been made so far. He equally asked the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, to go after the so-called criminals. Another sound bite or real marching order?
The President later announced the setting up of a committee of Elders that included past Benue State Governors, Minister of Justice, and traditional rulers, with the mandate of finding lasting peace in Benue — and that Governor Alia must also provide land for ranches. Right steps abi?
I strongly give it to the paramount ruler of Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, who went all out to call the killings an act of genocide and not the regular rhetoric of farmer-herder clash.
A major question many are asking is: Where is the place of intelligence gathering from our almighty DSS in these long years of killings in the Middle Belt and some other parts of the country? Does it also mean that these killers leave no trace at all when they invade the homes of their victims in tens on motorcycles with sophisticated weapons? Ordinary drones, closely monitored, could expose the faces of the killers in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, and Borno states.
The Federal Government must, as a matter of urgency, begin effective monitoring of our porous borders that give room for non-state actors to freely carry heavy weapons and unleash terror on our citizens.
The idea of the Forest Guards championed by the President to flush out the criminals from the forests nationwide should be given all necessary attention in order to come into effect soon.
Time for massive recruitment of more hands into the Nigerian Police and the military is now. It is not rocket science that our total security forces — roughly about 1.5 million — cannot effectively police a population of over 200 million. Just as the government is welcoming fresh recruits in various security operatives, it must also invest heavily in modern equipment for our men to withstand the firepower from the criminals.
Governor Hyacinth Alia must remember his promise, when taking the oath of office, to always protect the lives and properties of the people of Benue. Although, he used the occasion of the President’s visit to renew the demand for state police, which has been on the front burner for years.
Finally, I hope Mr. President will match his words of turning the Benue crisis into prosperity with action by ensuring that the flooding — orchestrated by the bad roads that prevented him from having an on-the-spot assessment of the troubled Yelewata communities — will be those to be commissioned on his next visit to Benue, the food basket of the nation.
I pray the souls of the innocent victims of unwarranted killings in Benue rest in peace. Amen.
Taiwo Olapade, a broadcast journalist, writes from Lagos.
