A group, North Central Peace Advocates (NCPA) has called on the government to bring the terrorists responsible for mass killings in Benue state to book.
The group in a statement signed by its coordinator Frank Utor, noted that the purpose of this persistent terror attacks in Benue and other states in the North Central is to ignite anarchy, cause mass disaffection against government at all levels.
He queried the misrespresention of the crisis, noting that the killers are not herders but terrorists and should not be treated with kid gloves.
He said: ‘While we mourn the dead and stand in solidarity with the bereaved, we are compelled to raise a red flag over the dangerous misrepresentation and politicisation of this crisis.
“The persistent framing of these killings as ‘herders versus farmers clashes’ is not only false, but dangerously misleading. This false narrative has provided a convenient smokescreen for well-coordinated, well-armed, and politically motivated terror groups whose sole objective is to destabilise Benue State and undermine the peace and stability of Nigeria.
“The killers are not herdsmen. They do not rear cattle. They do not engage in any known pastoral activities. On the contrary, they rustle cattle from legitimate herders to raise money for their nefarious activities. They then weaponize the confusion to destabilize society.
“Intelligence and on-ground evidence indicate that the killers are well trained members and affiliates international terror groups, whose only mission is warfare against the indigenous communities of Benue, Plateau and another parts of North Central Nigeria.
“The killers don’t come on donkeys, or camels or horses; they ride on motorcycles, well armed to attacks communities and retreat to their camps.”
He said by describing the killers as herdsmen, government after government have misdiagnosed and downplayed this major national security threat to the peace and stability of Nigeria.
“This mischaracterisation is one of the greatest obstacles to ending the Benue and north central crisis. It deprives the security agencies of the legal and operational clarity needed to confront the threat decisively.
“We must therefore call these killers what they are: terrorists—not herders, not bandits, but foreign-backed armed insurgents. This is who they are,” he said.