Benue Killings: Our Food Basket Soaked in Blood – A Call to Action for Nigeria
When I was growing up, I was very curious about the nicknames of each of Nigeria’s 36 states. As an Oyo indigene, it took a while to understand why my state, Oyo, was the pacesetter, but I barely needed an explanation for why Benue was called “the food basket of the Nation.” As I got older, people who had been there claimed the state had the cheapest food items in the country, the biggest yams, the juiciest tomatoes, and more.
Now, some Nigerian states, especially in the North-east and the Middle Belt, are synonymous with the worst things. Boko Haram is one of the first things that comes to mind when Borno is mentioned, Hisbah with Kano, and Benue State, once the proud food basket of Nigeria, is now a land drenched in the blood of its innocent. The fields that once promised sustenance and prosperity are now scenes of unimaginable horror, scarred by violence, displacement, and despair.
The recent onslaught by gunmen in Yelewata, Guma LGA, which has claimed dozens of lives and left many injured, is not an isolated incident but a chilling continuation of a brutal saga that has plagued the state for far too long. With over 100 people reportedly killed and 6,527 displaced in a series of coordinated attacks, the scale of this humanitarian crisis demands immediate and decisive action from the Nigerian government, the international community, you, and me.
The recent attacks in Yelewata and Aondona, following a pattern of violence across Guma, Gwer West, Otukpo, Apa, and Logo LGAs, paint a grim picture of a state under siege. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reports a staggering death toll and thousands displaced, highlighting the urgent need for humanitarian intervention.
Even security forces are not spared, with soldiers and NSCDC officers ambushed while responding to distress calls. This relentless cycle of violence, often attributed to suspected herdsmen, operates with a disturbing level of impunity, raising critical questions about the effectiveness of Nigeria’s security architecture.
What is particularly alarming is the anonymity of the perpetrators and the perceived silence and inaction from various quarters. There is either an obvious information vacuum, as the severity of the killings has failed to register in the minds of many Nigerians, or this has just become the new normal.
We may continue to ignore this, chalking it up as a religious war or an ethnic squabble, but it seems like Nigeria is under attack. When I lived in Kaduna, I came to understand that several of the reported killings stem from a complex struggle over land, water, and survival, exacerbated by institutional failures, poor governance, and the proliferation of illegal arms.
Yes, it is easy to throw words such as “Unknown Gunmen, Herdsmen, and the likes” when talking about the perpetrators but it is quite alarming that there has not been significant arrests, groups claiming responsibility, and all we have to show in response to such occurrences are words of comfort, shakes of the head, and everyone moves on to seek their daily bread until it happens again and we rinse and repeat.
The consequences of this unchecked violence are dire, extending far beyond the immediate loss of life. Benue, as Nigeria’s food basket, is crucial to the nation’s food supply, producing significant quantities of yams, rice, maize, and soybeans. However, pervasive insecurity has paralysed farming activities. Farmers are too afraid to return to their lands, leading to missed planting seasons, lost harvests, and rising hunger.
A 2024 study directly correlates insecurity in Benue with a steep decline in agricultural output, transforming what was once a regional crisis into a national threat. The economic and social fabric of the state is being torn apart, with children pulled out of schools and entire communities facing an uncertain future.
Research indicates a significant negative correlation between insecurity and agricultural output in Benue State. A study from arXiv (Effect of Insecurity on Agricultural Output in Benue State, Nigeria) found that a one per cent increase in insecurity leads to a 0.211% decrease in crop output and a 0.311% decrease in livestock output.
Another paper from Nigerian Journals Online concluded that agricultural productivity in Benue State experienced a decline between 2015 and 2022 due to incessant violent conflicts. This highlights how the ongoing crisis directly impacts the state’s role as Nigeria’s food basket, leading to reduced harvests and potential food insecurity.
Where is the state protection? Despite substantial financial allocations to security over the last few years, the desired outcomes in Benue State remain elusive. An article from Africa Health Report highlights that Benue State alone allocated N1.46 billion towards security. However, this significant spending has not translated into a reduction in violence, as communities continue to experience frequent attacks, mass displacements, abductions, and fatalities. The killers move freely, and the Nigerian state appears unable or unwilling to contain them.
Something has to change. Condolence messages from Abuja are no longer sufficient. Considering the swiftness of its implementation in Rivers when the pipelines were under threat, a state of emergency in Benue would not be an overreaction. This must be followed by the immediate deployment of mobile police units and special forces to the most affected LGAs: Guma, Gwer West, Otukpo, Apa, and Logo. Intelligence-led operations are crucial to target weapons supply chains and identify the masterminds behind these attacks.
Beyond security measures, humanitarian relief is an equally urgent imperative. The thousands of internally displaced persons across Benue are in desperate need of food, shelter, healthcare, and education. The unfolding humanitarian crisis is a national shame that demands immediate attention and resources. We also need answers and accountability. Would it be too much if the government launches a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the killings, establish culpability, and ensure prosecution? Without justice, true peace cannot be achieved, and without peace, the very idea of Nigeria as a unified and secure nation is at risk.
Benue is more than just a state; it is the agricultural heartland of Nigeria. If its people are continuously displaced or wiped out, the ripple effects will be felt across the entire nation, from the dinner tables of Nigerian families to the stability of its markets and the fragile social fabric of the country.
The deliberate silence from those in power must end. The time for platitudes is over. We must confront the uncomfortable truths about who is killing the people of Benue, why they have not been stopped, and what kind of country allows such atrocities to persist. The answers may be painful, but silence is no longer an option.
This is the time to fight for Nigeria, by fighting for Benue.
