The Benue State House of Assembly has demanded that Governor Hyacinth Alia urgently enforce the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017, following a deadly assault by suspected armed herdsmen on Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area.
The legislators made the call during Tuesday’s plenary, where they condemned the attack in the strongest terms, describing it as a “coordinated invasion, massacre, genocide, and acts of terrorism.” According to the House, the violent onslaught left scores of residents dead and entire families wiped out, while homes were razed.
The resolution stemmed from a motion of urgent public importance raised by Uche Terwase Peter, representing Guma 1 Constituency, who told the chamber that the attackers, suspected Fulani militia, were heavily armed and deployed sophisticated weapons, including explosives and incendiary materials, to carry out the massacre. He lamented that entire households, in some cases made up of ten family members, were entirely wiped out in the onslaught.
In their resolution, the Assembly urged Governor Alia to declare three days of state mourning — from Wednesday, June 18 to Friday, June 20 — in honour of those killed in the Yelewata carnage and similar attacks across Benue.
Lawmakers also criticised security agencies for what they described as a failure to prevent the tragedy despite warning signs. The Assembly accused the authorities of being reactive rather than proactive in responding to threats, a situation they warned was fuelling the insecurity crisis in the state.
They unanimously labelled the killings “barbaric” and an act of “ethnic cleansing,” and pressed the governor to take firm and immediate measures to halt further bloodshed.
The legislators further called on Benue residents to remain vigilant and defend themselves within the boundaries of the law as attacks on farming communities intensify.
The Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, which was passed in 2017 to curb the menace of farmer-herder conflicts, has seen limited enforcement in recent years, prompting renewed demands for its full implementation in the wake of the Yelewata tragedy.
