The Conference of Southwest Chairmen of the Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC) has condemned in strong terms the recent mass killings in Benue State, describing the murder of over 200 people in a single night as “a systematic genocide” aimed at wiping out entire communities.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Chairman of the southwest region Aare Adedara Temitope Moses called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to go beyond condolences and ceremonial visits, urging him to activate a decisive security response capable of ending the cycle of bloodshed in Benue and other conflict-ridden parts of the country.
“No responsible government should treat the mass murder of its citizens as a routine crisis. What happened in Benue is not just an attack — it is a systematic genocide. Entire families were wiped out in one night,” the statement read.
The group noted that while the President’s planned visit to the state alongside military chiefs is a welcome development, it insisted that the lives and property of Nigerians must be given more than symbolic attention.
“The President’s action must not stop at a visit. The people of Benue, and indeed all Nigerians, deserve more than empathy — they deserve protection, justice, and peace. Mr. President must urgently restructure the nation’s security architecture to find a lasting solution to these killings,” the group charged.
They warned that continuous attacks without strong federal response could erode public confidence in governance and further deepen regional mistrust, especially among younger citizens already disillusioned by the country’s security failures.
The youth leaders also prayed for healing and restoration in the affected communities, while calling on Nigerians across religious and ethnic lines to stand united against violence.
“God heal our land. Peace to the world,” the statement concluded.
Benue has remained a flashpoint of farmer-herder clashes and militia attacks in recent years, with hundreds reportedly killed and thousands displaced. Analysts say the lack of arrests and prosecutions has emboldened perpetrators, prompting calls for urgent federal intervention.
Signed:
Comr Abdulfatai A. Legacy
Dir of media and publicity,Conference of chairmen,southwest region.
Lion Comr.Olayemi OLARIBIGBE General secretary,Conference of chairmen southwest region
Aare Adedara Temitope Moses,Chairman conference of Chairmen southwest region.
