In the wake of the gruesome killing of over 200 people in Yelewata, Benue State, the National Youth Stakeholders Forum (NYSF) has issued a strongly worded statement demanding urgent security reforms and decisive presidential action.
The group accused armed Fulani militants of carrying out the massacre and called for the immediate withdrawal of so-called “repentant” Boko Haram members allegedly integrated into the Nigerian Armed Forces.
The NYSF, a coalition of youth leaders, civil society organisations, and ethnic nationality representatives from across the country, described the Benue killings as “systemic genocide” and “a national disgrace.” The group blamed rising insecurity on sabotage within Nigeria’s security architecture, echoing recent comments by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, who warned of insider threats undermining counterterrorism efforts.
The statement, signed by NYSF leaders including Ambassador Samuel Adegbola, Barr. Chidiebere Nwodo, Ambassador Dogo Shagari, and Aare Oladotun Hassan, warned that the growing presence of armed Fulani groups across Benue and neighbouring states had led to widespread displacement, destruction of communities, and erosion of public trust in government protection.
The Forum called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to “immediately call the CDS and COAS to order” and commence a full audit and withdrawal of any former terrorists recruited into military or security agencies.
“It is most ridiculous and embarrassing that uneducated killer terrorists are recruited into the Nigerian Army, while patriotic Nigerians are denied the opportunity to serve,” the statement said.
The group further demanded that all identified saboteurs in the military, including serving and retired officers, be arrested, court-martialed, and summarily prosecuted if found guilty. They also called for the formation of a National Joint Regional Security Task Force and recruitment of local forest guards in terror-prone areas.
The statement, signed by NYSF leaders including Ambassador Samuel Adegbola, Barr. Chidiebere Nwodo, Ambassador Dogo Shagari, and Aare Oladotun Hassan, warned that the growing presence of armed Fulani groups across Benue and neighbouring states had led to widespread displacement, destruction of communities, and erosion of public trust in government protection
According to the NYSF, the massacre in Yelewata is not an isolated incident but part of a calculated campaign to seize ancestral lands under the guise of farmer-herder conflict.
“Calling these massacres ‘clashes’ is an insult. These are premeditated attacks aimed at ethnic cleansing,” the Forum stated.
President Tinubu who is expected to meet with community leaders and victims’ families in Benue, is under pressure to address the security crisis head-on. The NYSF therefore urged the president to use the visit to announce immediate reforms and give victims a platform to voice their concerns directly.
Nontheless, the Forum outlined five core demands:
1. Security Overhaul: Including better intelligence funding, modern equipment, and coordination.
2. Troop Welfare: Improved benefits for soldiers and officers, including scholarships for their children.
3. Accountability: Swift justice for those complicit in the Benue massacre, regardless of status.
4. Community Dialogue: Through the creation of a Nigeria Inter-Ethnic Nationalities Peace Commission.
5. Regional Cooperation: To stem the cross-border flow of arms and insurgents.
The NYSF declared the Benue massacre a turning point and warned that failure to act decisively would deepen Nigeria’s security crisis and erode public confidence further.
