The Benue State House of Assembly has passed a resolution calling for the immediate and unconditional release of 14 protesters who were arrested by security forces during a demonstration against the recent mass killings in Yelewata community.
The lawmakers made this demand during Tuesday’s plenary session while also urging both state and federal governments to intensify security measures to protect vulnerable communities from ongoing attacks by suspected armed herdsmen across the state.
The arrests occurred on Sunday when angry youths staged a massive protest along the strategic Abuja-Makurdi highway, bringing traffic to a complete standstill as they mourned victims of the latest attack on their community. The demonstrators, dressed in black and carrying placards alongside palm fronds, expressed their grief and frustration over the continuous killings in their area.
The protest took a dramatic turn when Deputy Governor Sam Ode attempted to address the aggrieved youths, but they rejected his intervention and demanded that Governor Hyacinth Alia personally come to speak with them about the security crisis plaguing their communities.
The situation escalated when armed police officers and soldiers moved in to disperse the protesters, leading to confrontations that resulted in the deployment of tear gas against the demonstrators. The Benue State Police Command subsequently arrested 14 individuals during the operation to clear the highway.
The protest was triggered by a coordinated attack that occurred around 10 p.m. on Friday when suspected herdsmen launched an assault on Yelewata community in Guma Local Government Area, killing scores of residents and leaving many others with serious injuries.
The Assembly’s resolution reflects growing frustration among Benue residents over the recurring attacks on farming communities, with lawmakers expressing concern that inadequate security responses continue to embolden attackers and leave innocent citizens vulnerable to violence.
The call for the protesters’ release comes amid mounting pressure on the state government to take more decisive action in addressing the farmer-herder conflicts that have claimed hundreds of lives across Benue State in recent years.
The Assembly’s intervention highlights the delicate balance between maintaining public order and respecting citizens’ constitutional rights to peaceful protest, particularly when communities are seeking justice and protection from violence.
The lawmakers emphasized that the arrested individuals were exercising their democratic rights to peaceful assembly and should not face criminal charges for voicing legitimate concerns about their security and safety.
