National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu has urged Benue’s people to stop politicizing their pain and instead help the federal government fight back with unity, not division.
Ribadu stated this on Tuesday when he visited Benue State to commiserate with the government and the people over the killing of over 72 people by terrorists masquerading as herdsmen.
The visit wasn’t just symbolic. It was a cry for understanding from the nation’s top security strategist—an admission that the rot runs deep
Standing in a state shattered by the murder of over 72 citizens by gunmen masquerading as herders, Ribadu pulled no punches. “We didn’t just inherit insecurity. We inherited fear, failure, and a system that was already broken,” he said solemnly.
“The government of President Bola Tinubu is fighting ghosts left behind by an extremely bad past.”
“It’s easy to destroy,” he said. “Solving is hard. But we are committed to it. Give us a chance.”
His comments come amid a terrifying resurgence of violence in Benue and Plateau States. Just a week after 50 farmers were butchered in cold blood, Tuesday’s fresh attacks re-opened wounds that had barely begun to heal.
Benue’s Governor, Hyacinth Alia, painted a grim picture of a state under siege since 2011, saying the number of lives lost has crossed into the unimaginable. His voice shook with emotion: “We are not just counting the dead—we are burying generations.”
Ribadu’s words struck a chord across the country: Nigeria is not just fighting bandits or extremists. It is fighting for its soul.