IGBO HEROES FOUNDATION CONDEMNS BENUE MASSACRE, URGES RESTRUCTURING FOR LASTING SECURITY by Joseph Monday
The Igbo Heroes Foundation, led nationally by Hon. Prince Chinedu Nsofor(Kpakpando Ndigbo), has expressed profound grief and deep sorrow over the recent massacre that claimed the lives of over 200 innocent Benue indigenes in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area. “We are shocked and heartbroken to hear that over 200 fellow Nigerians were massacred by criminal Fulani herdsmen,” declared Hon. Nsofor. “We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, as well as to the government and people of Benue State.”
“As we mourn this atrocious act, we acknowledge that the insecurity plaguing Benue is merely the latest manifestation of a broader national crisis,” continued Hon. Nsofor. “These criminal herdsmen are carrying out murderous operations in the Southeast too—recent attacks in Enugu, including the ambush in Agu-Amed autonomous community that killed seven and left others missing, illustrate how pervasive and ruthless this threat has become.”
Hon. Nsofor characterized the crisis as a systemic failure of Nigeria’s constitutional structure: “The root of this insecurity is Nigeria’s broken security architecture. Governors lack the power to establish effective policing in their states. How can a Chief Security Officer be hamstrung by law?”
Echoing the Foundation’s longstanding advocacy, he added: “This is why the Igbo Heroes Foundation, grounded in the vision of our founding leader Chief Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, has always championed restructuring. We must empower states to manage their own security. Restructure Nigeria, and governors can institute modern, well-equipped state police—ready to protect every region.” Governors should be empowered to deploy AK-47-equipped security units if necessary to guard farmlands and prevent further massacres,” he stressed,
Hon. Nsofor applauded the federal government’s recent support for Gombe State to establish a 184-hectare Agro-Livestock Industrial Zone as a model for effective, state-level intervention in animal husbandry and urged that it be implemented across all Northern states in Nigeria. Highlighting the initiative’s focus on agricultural modernization, livestock management, youth empowerment, and climate-adaptive techniques, he called for its expansion, especially in Northern regions with the inclusion of modern cattle ranching infrastructure to curb nomadic cattle rearing that often lead to farmland destruction and violent clashes. Nsofor advocates that modern ranching systems are part of a broader national peace and development strategy for Nigeria.
In closing, Hon. Nsofor stated: “We mourn the Benue victims, but if all we do is send prayers and condolences, we risk repeating this tragedy. Restructuring is not only necessary—it is the most viable means to secure every region, to rotate power responsibly, and to build a united, safer Nigeria.”
