Abuja: Some elders from Benue State have urged the Federal Government to instill peace by declaring a state of emergency in Sankera, Benue State following recent violence in the area. Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, President of the African Leadership Institute, Dayton, Ohio, United States, made the call at a news conference on Thursday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Hagher, who spoke on behalf of the group, urged the Federal Government to deploy sufficient, rights-respecting security forces to take control of the area. He also said that the government should establish an independent judicial peace and reconciliation commission to investigate the root causes, document atrocities to ensure accountability, and provide a framework for retributive and restorative justice.
Hagher emphasized the need for the Federal Government to ensure the safe return of all internally displaced Sankera people to their ancestral homes and protect their lives from bandits and terrorists. He suggested securing the large ungoverned space between Kasar and Agu-centre by establishing a robust army battalion in Kasar. Additionally, he advocated for a large-scale resettlement scheme in Sankera by establishing new modern towns with amenities such as schools, hospitals, and police stations.
Hagher commended the administration of President Bola Tinubu for partnering with the United States government to bring relief to victims of terrorism. He also called on the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to carry out an independent fact-finding mission to unravel the cause of the Benue Sankera crisis. Furthermore, he urged the United Nations Human Rights Council to urgently review the situation of the crisis in Benue state, especially in Sankera.
Hagher appealed to international humanitarian agencies to increase assistance for internally displaced persons and host communities. He highlighted the convention on the protection of the crime of genocide, which Nigeria signed on July 27, 2009, condemning those who witnessed genocide and, instead of defending the victims, colluded. He criticized the official silence and denial of the Sankera crisis, which have deepened the wounds, noting that inadequate documentation has obscured the scale of suffering and political hesitation has prolonged it.
He reported that over one million people had been displaced across Benue state, including areas such as Gwer West, Gwer East, Guma, and Agatu, while highlighting the devastation in Kwande Local Government as a separate chapter of terror. Hagher noted that the border communities of Abande and Anwase, near the Cameroon border, had also been occupied by armed bandits. He revealed that hundreds of thousands now live in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps or precarious host communities. The ongoing crisis has resulted in alarming levels of malnutrition and stunted growth among children, as reported by UNICEF.