President Bola Tinubu has told the Governor of Benue state Hyacinth Alia that he was elected under the progressive banner to ensure peace, stability, and progress and not elected to bury people or comfort widows and orphans.
He, however, assured that the federal government would work with him to achieve that peace in the state.
The President also directed the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, to immediately arrest killer herders who perpetrated the heinous killing of over 200 people in Yelewata community in Benue State.
Tinubu gave the directive while addressing stakeholders at the Government House, Markudi.
The meeting included the Secretary to the Federal Government, George Akume, Traditional Rulers, and former Governors of the state. The governors of Kwara, Imo, Kogi, Plateau, Ondo, and Nasarawa also attended the meeting.
Tinubu called out the Inspector General of Police to know why arrests have not been made.
“How come no one has been arrested for committing this heinous crime in Yelewata. Inspector General of Police, where are the arrests? The criminals must be arrested immediately,” the President said.
He urged the heads of the Department of State Services (DSS) and the National Intelligence Agency (NIA) to intensify surveillance and gather actionable intelligence to apprehend the perpetrators.
He told the Chief of Defence Staff of the need for vigilance and collaboration between communities and security forces.
Advising Alia on the importance of stakeholder management for peaceful and progressive governance, the President urged the governor to set up a peace committee in the state that will include former governors of Benue, elders, traditional rulers, federal government officials, and non-indigenes living in the state.
“Let us meet again in Abuja. Let’s fashion out a framework for lasting peace. I am ready to invest in that peace. I assure you, we will find peace. We will convert this tragedy into prosperity,” he said.
President Tinubu urged Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State to allocate land for ranching and directed the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security to follow up.
He called for blood donations to support the injured receiving treatment at the Benue State Teaching Hospital, where he had earlier visited victims and medical staff.
While underscoring the importance of peace for sustainable development, Tinubu implored Alia is peaceful, adding that the circumstances of his visit this time should not have been a reason to visit.
“I wanted to come here to commission projects, to reassure you of hope and prosperity, not to see gloomy faces. But peace is vital to development,” he said.
“The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. We were elected to govern, not to bury people”, he stressed.
He charged Governor Alia with working with the federal government to restore peace.
“Governor Alia, you were elected under the progressive banner to ensure peace, stability, and progress. You are not elected to bury people or comfort widows and orphans. We will work with you to achieve that peace. You must also work with us.
“Not everyone will like you in politics. They hate me, too—like hell. But here I am, still your President. I made a promise to protect democracy, freedom, and prosperity, even for my abusers and accusers. That’s leadership,” the President emphasised.
In his remarks, Alia appealed to the federal government to establish a Special Intervention Fund for communities affected by repeated violent attacks across Benue State.