The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has called on President Bola Tinubu's administration to declare a state of emergency in Benue State following coordinated attacks that claimed numerous lives in the region.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, NANS National Vice President on Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Akinbodunse Sileola Felicia, emphasized that declaring a state of emergency is the only effective measure to halt the killings allegedly perpetrated by suspected herdsmen.
Concerns Over Ethnic Cleansing
The student body described the overnight killings and destruction in Yelwata community as having "colouration of ethnic cleansing" and warned that if not addressed promptly, Nigeria risks facing a genocide situation similar to what occurred in Rwanda.
"NANS condemns the latest attacks in Yelwata in Benue State where no fewer than 200 people, including children were massacred by suspected killer herdsmen," the statement read. "This is not only barbaric but a dastardly act which is tantamount to genocide and ethnic cleansing."
Call for Broader Security Solutions
The association urged the Tinubu-led administration to find lasting solutions to the incessant killings not only in Benue but also in Plateau and other states facing similar security challenges. NANS expressed dismay over the inability of security agencies to curtail the mass murders, insisting that the Federal Government must take more decisive action to end the violence.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has reportedly visited injured victims at the Teaching Hospital, though details of the visit and any immediate actions taken remain unclear.
The Benue crisis continues to draw reactions from various quarters, with protests being organized and calls for emergency meetings among leaders to address the deteriorating security situation in the state.
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