Benue State has been thrown into fresh political turmoil after the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth and Media Mobilization, Atu Terver Joseph, abruptly dismissed his Chief of Staff, Mr. John Ukeyima, and Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Lubem Terkula, for participating in a protest against the ongoing massacre of residents in the state.
The protest, which drew large crowds to Wurukum Roundabout in Makurdi, was organized in response to yet another deadly attack—this time in the Yelewata community of Guma Local Government Area—where over 200 people were reportedly killed by suspected Fulani herdsmen. The demonstrators demanded urgent government action to stop the bloodshed that has plagued the region for years.
In a stern letter dated June 14, 2025, Terver accused the two aides of “working against the state government,” describing their participation in the protest as a “serious breach of duty and trust.”
“This letter serves as formal notification of your immediate and indefinite suspension… Such conduct is a serious breach of your duties and the trust placed in your office,” the letter stated.
The sackings have sparked widespread condemnation across the state, with many seeing it as a brutal crackdown on voices of conscience within the government. Critics say the decision reveals an alarming level of intolerance toward dissent and exposes the administration’s inability—or unwillingness—to confront the worsening security crisis.
“It’s a disgrace,” said one protester. “How do you punish people for standing with the people? For demanding justice? For grieving with their communities?”
Supporters of Ukeyima and Terkula insist that their participation in the demonstration was not political sabotage, but a moral duty. “These men stood where leaders should stand—in solidarity with the victims,” a fellow government staffer said under anonymity.
As the backlash intensifies, the Benue State Government now finds itself battling both a deadly security challenge and a growing crisis of legitimacy from within its own ranks.