By Emmanuel Thomas l Saturday, Sept 12, 2025
MAKURDI — The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress,NDC, Mr. Peter Obi, has expressed deep grief over the continuous loss of innocent lives to violent attacks in Benue State, describing the ongoing bloodshed as unacceptable and a tragic reflection of the nation’s security collapse.
Obi’s reaction followed distressing reports of a fresh attack on Ayilamo community in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, where several innocent residents and security personnel were reportedly killed by armed assailants.
In a strongly worded statement issued to newsmen, the former Anambra State Governor extended his condolences to the bereaved families and the entire people of Logo Local Government Area, expressing heartbreak over the relentless cycle of violence plaguing the state.
”There are moments when words fail because no words can fully express the pain of losing innocent lives to violence,”
Obi stated. “My heart goes out to the families who have once again been forced to bury their loved ones, and to the entire people of Logo. I share in your pain.”
Recalling his recent attempt to commiserate with victims of an earlier attack in Yelwata, Obi revealed that his humanitarian visit to the affected community was disrupted.
However, he emphasized that the experience only reinforced his determination to speak against the ongoing atrocities.
”Even in that moment of grief, when all that should have mattered was humanity, my attempt to reach the affected community was disrupted,” he said. “Yet that experience has only strengthened my conviction that we must never become indifferent to the suffering of our people.”
He insisted that the sanctity of human life must be protected regardless of religious, ethnic, or occupational affiliations, stating that the continuous loss of lives diminishes the nation as a whole.
”Whether the victim is a farmer, a child, a police officer, a soldier, a Christian, a Muslim, or a person of any ethnic group, every Nigerian life has equal value. We must stop counting our dead and start protecting our living,” he added.
Calling for immediate intervention, Obi charged the Federal Government and security agencies to step up operations, bring the perpetrators to justice, and put an end to the recurring invasions.
He noted that Nigeria cannot afford to continue down a path where citizens live in constant fear for their lives.
”A nation that cannot protect the lives of its citizens has a duty to ask itself some very difficult questions. We must do better. We must secure Nigeria. A new Nigeria is possible,” Obi concluded.
Benue State, located in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region and widely celebrated as the nation’s “Food Basket,” has for years been the epicenter of severe security challenges characterized by farmer-herder conflicts, violent invasions by armed bandits, and localized communal clashes.
Logo Local Government Area, where Ayilamo is situated, alongside neighboring areas such as Guma, Ukum, and Agatu, has remained particularly vulnerable to repeated armed incursions.
These attacks have claimed thousands of lives, displaced hundreds of thousands of agrarian residents into Internal Displacement Persons (IDP) camps, and devastated rural economies across the state
The recent incidents in Yelwata and Ayilamo reflect a disturbing resurgence in deadly raids on rural communities, where both civilian populations and security operatives stationed to maintain order have frequently fallen victim to heavy firepower.
Despite multiple military operations, emergency declarations, and security deployments by successive administrations, long-term stability has remained elusive for the people of Benue.
