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By Myke Agunwa
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has condemned the use of force in dispersing persons protesting against the killing of their family members and loved ones in Benue State on Sunday, describing the order as cruelty and a betrayal of the sacred duty of leadership.
Atiku in a post on his official X handle on Monday, condemned the senseless killings, urging the government to swing into action.
“The bloodshed in Benue State has reached a devastating crescendo, a brutal and heart-wrenching reality that can no longer be ignored. For years, families have buried their loved ones in silence, villages have been ravaged, and communities shattered, while those in power watch from a distance, offering nothing but hollow assurances.
“How much more must the people of Benue endure before their humanity is acknowledged? Their demand is simple: to live in peace, to sleep without fear, to farm without being slaughtered, and to raise their children without the constant shadow of violence.”
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, said, “When citizens take to the streets to protest this injustice, they are not inciting rebellion; they are crying for help. They are demanding what every Nigerian is constitutionally entitled to: the right to life and the protection of that life by the state. But what do they receive in return? Tear gas. Brutality. Disdain. It is pouring hot oil on an open wound.
“To unleash force on grieving, defenseless citizens is not governance; it is cruelty. It is a betrayal of the sacred duty of leadership. What kind of government meets a cry for safety with the barrel of a gun and a canister of gas?
“The silence, the indifference, the lack of urgency, it is all damning. It speaks to a deeper rot in the conscience of leadership, a frightening normalisation of violence against the very people they swore to protect.”
He called on the conscience of all leaders at both the federal and state levels to desist from turning a blind eye while Benue drowns in blood.
“Stop offering condolences and start offering solutions. Work with security agencies, deploy resources, and craft a security architecture that prioritizes human lives over political optics”.
He stressed that Benue State is not alone in the invasion, noting that from Plateau to Zamfara, Kaduna to Taraba, Nigerians are bleeding and begging to be heard.
He urged the people not to be silenced. “Raise your voices. Demand accountability. Demand justice. Demand a government that sees you, hears you, and protects you.
“History will not be kind to those who chose power over people. The time to act is now,” Atiku said.