Farida Waziri, retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has called on political and traditional leaders in Benue State to put aside their differences and unite in response to the wave of killings and displacement caused by attacks from gunmen.
Waziri made the appeal while donating food items and other household essentials to victims of the recent violence in Yelwata community, and internally-displaced persons (IDPs) in Makurdi, the state capital on Saturday.
“This is no time for division. There is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring,” Waziri said during her remarks.
“Among us are men and women who have led this state; former governors, legislators, traditional rulers, individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to set aside our differences and stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.”
She cautioned that the ongoing violence now takes on the appearance of a planned and coordinated attempt to erase the people and heritage of Benue.
Quoting Winston Churchill, she called for immediate action and collective action, and that if we do nothing now we leave the state fighting for its survival against insurmountable odds.
Waziri aligned her call with President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit and comments on the crisis but stressed that peace would not be achieved through dialogue alone.
She emphasized the need to address the causes of the violence ethnic tensions, unchecked banditry, cultism, drugs abuse, and the long-standing herder-farmer conflict.
“These horrors did not emerge in a vacuum; they are symptoms of deeper issues. We must therefore confront the real causes… with honesty and courage.”
Waziri concluded by calling on all sons and daughters of Benue, both at home and in the diaspora, to join hands in ending the bloodshed and restoring peace and dignity to the state.
“We must commit to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home,” she said.
The items donated included bags of rice, sugar, yams, and other relief items.
The donation comes in response to the attacks in Yelwata on June 13, which left at least 200 villagers dead.
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