OPINION:As Benue Bleeds, Abacha’s Warning Echoes Louder Than Ever
In the face of mounting violence in Benue State, a haunting quote from Nigeria’s former military ruler, General Sani Abacha, resurfaces with renewed urgency: “Any insurgency that lasts more than 24 hours, a government official has a hand in it.”
For over a week now, Benue State has become a theatre of horror. More than 200 lives have been brutally cut short in a series of coordinated attacks across multiple communities.
Thousands have fled their homes in search of safety, and the air is thick with fear, grief, and a troubling sense of abandonment. The violence has escalated to such an extent that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was forced to condemn it, calling the killings “inhuman and anti-progress.”
Yet, for many residents and observers, such condemnations are starting to ring hollow. If over 1,000 people have died in Benue between May 2023 and May 2025—as one conflict database suggests—then what is left of the government’s duty to protect its citizens?
The conflict between nomadic herders, largely of Fulani origin, and sedentary farmers in Nigeria’s Middle Belt is not new. However, its persistence and increasing ferocity reveal deeper systemic failures. It is no longer enough to dismiss these killings as “clashes.” What is unfolding in Benue is a slow, systematic collapse of security—one that government authorities, at both the state and federal levels, have failed to arrest.
It is against this backdrop that Abacha’s words gain terrifying clarity. If an insurgency—or in this case, a sustained cycle of mass violence—can continue unabated for more than 24 hours, then it begs the question: Who is complicit? Who is benefitting from the silence, the inaction, or worse, the chaos?
Let’s be clear: the root causes are complex. Climate change has pushed herders southward into conflict-prone zones. Population growth has intensified land disputes. Religious and ethnic divides inflame tensions, and poverty fuels desperation. Yet, none of these factors absolve the government of its primary responsibility: to protect human life.
The government’s response has been reactive, disjointed, and tragically insufficient. Joint task forces like Operation Whirl Stroke and newly launched Forest Guards may show intent, but intent without decisive and sustained action is meaningless. What has been done to prevent further loss of life? Where are the long-term policies to address land use, disarm violent actors, or mediate between the warring communities?
Analyst Sam Philip, speaking from the heart of the crisis in Makurdi, pointed out what many in Benue already believe—that their suffering has been pushed to the periphery of national concern. With the government preoccupied with Boko Haram in the northeast, IPOB in the southeast, and banditry in the northwest, Benue’s slow-burning tragedy continues largely in the shadows.
There is also a political dimension that cannot be ignored. When electoral seasons approach, politicians flood the region with promises. But in moments like this—when the cries of the people demand action—they retreat behind vague statements and delay.
This must stop.
The Nigerian state must take its own rhetoric seriously. Condemnation is not justice. Silence is not neutrality. And inaction, in the face of such a humanitarian crisis, is complicity.
Benue does not need another presidential statement; it needs a coordinated emergency response. It needs justice for the dead, protection for the living, and hope for the displaced.
