Lawyer Ifeanyi Ejiofor has slammed the Benue State Government over the continued killings of citizens of the state by suspected Fulani jihadists.

According to him, the state has the power to stop the convoy of presidential candidate Peter Obi from entering the state by using protesters but lacks what it takes to end the killings going on.

Ejiofor said this following the latest attack on Ayilamo, which led to the death of many.

He said, "The Sobering Irony of Benue’s Security Crisis

"It is difficult to escape the painful irony unfolding in Benue State.
Only last week, the nation watched in disbelief as youths visibly armed with dangerous objects blocked the convoy of Peter Obi and prevented him from proceeding to Yelwata, where he had gone to commiserate with families still grieving over the horrific massacre.

"But while political roadblocks appear remarkably well-organised, the real enemies of the Benue people continue to find frighteningly easy access to their vulnerable communities.

"Barely days after the Yelwata controversy, Ayilamo community, in Tombo Council Ward of Logo Local Government Area, was attacked by suspected jihadist bandits. The Benue State Police Command confirmed the death of four police officers and seven civilians. The attack reportedly lasted for several hours before the attackers were reportedly repelled into the surrounding forest.

"Ayilamo is not an abstraction on a map. It is an agrarian community whose people have repeatedly appealed for stronger security protection. Residents have reported that the community has endured recurring attacks, while homes and livelihoods have been destroyed and families forced to flee.

"And therein lies the tragedy, and, frankly, the most uncomfortable irony.

"Where were all the formidable young men who could erect a roadblock against a presidential candidate when armed assailants were descending upon Ayilamo? Where was that youthful energy when innocent farmers needed protection rather than political barricades?

"This is not an argument against youthful activism. Far from it. It is an argument against the dangerous misdirection of youthful energy in a State already bleeding from insecurity. Young people who can mobilise themselves to obstruct a lawful political movement can, with proper leadership and lawful organisation, become a formidable force for community vigilance, intelligence gathering and the protection of vulnerable rural settlements.

"The tragedy of Benue is that its farmers do not need political warriors at the highways; they need protectors in the hinterlands.

"Governor Hyacinth Alia therefore owes the people of Benue more than condemnations after every fresh attack. His administration must demonstrate a security strategy capable of protecting communities such as Yelwata, Ayilamo, Otukpo Nobi, Ugboju and other vulnerable agrarian settlements where the ordinary farmer has increasingly become an unwilling participant in a war he never declared.

"This is not to absolve the Federal Government or the security agencies of their constitutional responsibilities. The crisis clearly transcends the capacity of any single state government. Yet, where a State continues to witness repeated attacks, the legitimate question is not merely who is to blame, but what more can be done, and why has it not been done effectively enough?

"Even the Federal Capital Territory has recently provided us with another curious lesson in governmental vocabulary. Minister Nyesom Wike, confronted with the persistent presence of cattle on Abuja roads, described the matter as one of “national security”, after previously apologising for the continued roaming of cattle in the capital.

"One is therefore tempted to ask: if cows walking on Abuja roads can graduate into a national-security matter, what classification should we reserve for armed men invading farming communities, burning houses and killing police officers and civilians?

"The time has therefore come for Governor Alia to redirect every available ounce of youthful energy away from political obstruction and towards the communities that desperately need protection. If these young men possess the courage, organisation and manpower to confront political visitors, let government deploy that energy, within the law, properly trained and under accountable security structures, to defend vulnerable communities and support legitimate security operations.

"And when State Police eventually becomes a constitutional and operational reality, these same youths could potentially constitute part of a properly trained, disciplined and professionally supervised community-security architecture.

"Benue does not need youths wielding weapons against fellow Nigerians exercising their lawful rights. Benue needs youths wielding courage against insecurity, intelligence against terrorism and discipline against political thuggery.

"The greatest irony would be for a State to discover that it had enough young men to stop a presidential convoy, but somehow not enough to help stop the men who have been stopping farmers from returning to their ancestral homes.

"That would be a tragedy far more profound than a blocked road.

"The road to Yelwata may have been blocked. The road to Ayilamo was not. And therein lies the question that Benue, and indeed Nigeria, must urgently answer."

ASA