“Tears In Benue: Gani Adams Demands Regional Security To Stop The Massacre!”

The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has emphasized that decentralizing Nigeria’s security architecture is the only effective way the Federal Government can halt further bloodshed in Benue State.

In a statement released on Friday, Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, declared that unless Nigeria’s security architecture is urgently decentralized, the country will continue to face the embarrassment of escalating insecurity — no matter how much is invested in prayers or hope.

Adams stressed that the alarming state of insecurity is one of the primary reasons developed nations caution their citizens against visiting or investing in Nigeria. According to him, this not only tarnishes the country’s global image but also damages its economic prospects.

“The time is ripe for Nigeria to embrace a decentralized security framework that accommodates federal, state, and local government policing,” he stated. “This remains the most effective way to end the senseless killings in Benue and other regions where non-state actors and armed criminals continue to terrorize innocent citizens.”

Adams strongly condemned the renewed wave of violence in Benue State, which he said has claimed hundreds of lives, displaced entire communities, destroyed properties, and instilled fear across the region. He described the situation as a “national tragedy” that demands immediate and holistic action.

He pointed out that the recurring violence in Benue, and in other states like Plateau, is driven by a mix of underlying factors such as herder-community clashes, weak law enforcement, widespread access to arms, poor governance, and worsening poverty and unemployment.

“These killings violate the right to life as enshrined in Section 33 of the Nigerian Constitution and pose a direct threat to national peace, unity, and stability,” he said.

Adams added that the violence has crippled farming activities — the backbone of local economies — thereby worsening hunger and poverty in affected areas. He called on the Federal Government to implement a sustained, multi-pronged approach to restore peace, protect lives, and promote meaningful reconciliation and development in the region.