As violent attacks and mass displacement continue to ravage Benue State, the Rule of Law and Empowerment Initiative—also known as Partners West Africa Nigeria (PWAN)—has sounded the alarm, calling for a coordinated national response to what it describes as a deepening security and humanitarian crisis.
In a strongly worded statement issued by its Executive Director, Kemi Okenyodo, PWAN condemned the repeated killings and destruction of communities allegedly by armed herders and other non-state actors, lamenting the lack of effective deterrent or accountability from Nigeria’s security institutions.
“What is unfolding in Benue State is not just a local tragedy—it is a national failure,” Okenyodo declared. “The inability of the security apparatus to protect civilians and prosecute perpetrators points to a systemic collapse of responsibility.”
PWAN stated that the failure of both preventive and responsive mechanisms at federal, state, and local levels has emboldened attackers, leaving already vulnerable populations—especially women, children, and the elderly—at the mercy of violence, hunger, and displacement.
The group also raised alarm over the economic and food security implications, warning that Benue’s decimation, as the country’s agricultural hub, could trigger a ripple effect across the national food supply chain.
“The burning of farmlands, killings of farmers, and forced migration have disrupted agricultural production at a dangerous scale,” the statement noted. “This is not just a Benue problem—it’s a looming national food crisis.”
PWAN urged the Federal Government to immediately deploy targeted security operations in affected areas, ensure the restoration of law and order, and prevent violent actors from occupying abandoned communities. It also called on the Benue State Government to prioritize humanitarian relief and protection for displaced persons, especially women and girls facing increased risk of gender-based violence.
Additionally, the organization tasked the National Assembly with enacting stronger legislative safeguards against land conflicts, illegal arms circulation, and climate-related displacement, stressing the need for long-term peacebuilding strategies.
“We must act now. If this trend continues unchecked, the state risks sliding into full-blown anarchy. This is a call to conscience and leadership at all levels,” Okenyodo warned.
PWAN reaffirmed its commitment to working with civil society, government, and local communities to promote rights-based, inclusive, and sustainable security solutions in Benue and across Nigeria.
