Benue killings demand honest conversation, urgent action – Northern CAN
The leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in Northern States has condemned the incessant killings in Benue State, calling on President Bola Tinubu to take proactive measures to address the issue.
It described the incident as a national tragedy that demands honest conversation and urgent intervention by the Nigerian state towards bringing an end to the killings in the state and other parts of the country.
Rev. John Joseph Hayab, Chairman of Northern CAN, in a statement after a condolence visit to the state by a high-powered delegation, rejected the prevailing narrative of “herders-farmers clashes” as the root cause of the killings, insisting that the reality is far more complex and sinister.
The chairman, while addressing the governor and stakeholders, said, “This is not a herders-farmers crisis, and we must stop describing it that way. If you don’t make the right diagnosis, you will never administer the right treatment. We must call these killings what they are and face the situation with honesty and courage.”
Hayab explained that while Northern CAN had issued several press statements condemning the killings, the visit was a step further in showing solidarity with the people of Benue, whom he described as the food basket of the nation and a critical part of Nigeria’s stability.
According to him, beyond their prayers, they will continue to speak truth to power and engage national leaders on sensitive issues of national importance until meaningful change is achieved for the unity and progress of the state and the country in general.
Responding, Governor Alia thanked the delegation for the visit and described it as a divine gesture that brought comfort, healing, and spiritual strength to the grieving state, saying, “As I was shaking hands with all of you and feeling your warmth, what ran through my mind was this, ‘I am because you are, and you are because I am.’ That is Christianity. That is the message Christ preached, love.”
The governor further remarked that the presence of the delegation symbolized Christ sitting with the people of Benue in their moment of pain.
“You are not just sitting here. It is Christ who is sitting on each of the chairs you occupy. That is how much this visit means to me and the good people of Benue,” he noted.
Alia lamented the scale of the killings and the sacredness of human life, saying that even one death is too many, let alone hundreds, and called on Nigerians to evolve ways of bringing killings and destruction to property to an end in parts of the country.
The governor lamented, “When one life is lost, it is one too many. And when the numbers keep rising, you wonder what is going on. But your visit, your prayers, and your presence are a complete interpretation of the good things that God is bringing out of a very bad situation.”
He appealed to the Christian community to remain steadfast in praying for the peace and unity of Benue and Nigeria as a whole, believing that it is the only way sustainable development will be achieved in the land.
The visit concluded with prayers for the victims, their families, and the state. The delegation reaffirmed Northern CAN’s commitment to sustained advocacy, justice, and peace-building efforts in Benue and beyond.
The delegation, comprising CAN Chairmen, Secretaries, youth, and women leaders from across the North and the FCT, was received at the Government House in Makurdi by the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
Benue killings demand honest conversation, urgent action – Northern CAN
