Hundreds of women from Benue communities on Wednesday stormed the Government House in Makurdi in a tearful protest against the continued killings by suspected herders and armed bandits in the state.
Clad in black and holding placards with bold inscriptions, the distraught women decried the escalating violence in their communities, which has led to mass displacement, loss of lives, and widespread hunger.
Some of the placards read: “President Tinubu, End the Killings,” “We Are Tired of Burying Our Husbands,” and “Thanks for Visiting, But We Need Action Now.”
Amid emotional chants and traditional dirges, the women expressed their grief and desperation. In one of their chants, they sang in the local dialect: “We can’t go to our farms; if we go, they will kill us. Please come to our rescue.”
The protest follows a recent surge in attacks in communities across Guma, Logo, and Agatu LGAs, leaving scores dead and thousands displaced. The protesters said the government must do more to protect rural dwellers from what they described as “systematic and targeted annihilation.”
“We are widows now, our children are hungry, and our homes are no longer safe,” said one of the leaders of the protest. “We need state police. We need justice. We need peace.”
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This comes just days after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited the state to sympathize with victims and pledged to work with Governor Hyacinth Alia to restore peace.
Governor Alia has also called for the establishment of state police and a special intervention fund to tackle the worsening security situation in the region.
Despite military presence in parts of the state, locals say attacks have persisted, with many communities now deserted as residents flee to IDP camps.
