By Atoyebi Nike
A coalition of professionals, civil society actors, and religious leaders from Benue State has called on the international community to intervene in what it describes as ongoing “ethnic cleansing and strategic displacement” in Nigeria’s Middle Belt region.
Speaking at a press briefing on Sunday in Makurdi, the group, led by innovation strategist Gideon Inyom, urged the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union to provide emergency asylum and protective status to victims of escalating violence in Benue.
The group cited data from the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), reporting that over 2 million people have been displaced and more than 6,000 lives lost in attacks attributed to armed herdsmen since 2013.
Inyom, joined by clergy, youth advocates, and aid workers, said the call was driven by “pain, duty, and desperation,” not ceremony. He highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis in overcrowded IDP camps, where displaced families lack food, schools, and healthcare.
“Children are growing up without education. Women are giving birth without access to clinics,” he said.
The coalition revealed that over 200 deaths have already been recorded in 2024 alone, with a mass killing in Yelwata claiming the lives of about 200 villagers.
Once known as Nigeria’s “Food Basket,” Benue’s rich farmlands have become deadly conflict zones. The speakers described the attacks as “systematic, sustained, and strategic,” aimed not just at displacing but replacing native communities.
Referencing key international legal frameworks—including the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Kampala Convention—the coalition argued that the situation meets the threshold for international protection.
“The silent war on Benue must end,” Inyom said, adding that the press conference marks the beginning of a global advocacy campaign.
Plans include reaching out to foreign governments, engaging with international humanitarian agencies like UNHCR, submitting legal evidence to human rights bodies, and mobilizing support from Nigerian communities abroad.
