By Peter Duru, Makurdi
Benue has remained the epicentre of armed herdsmen attacks in the country, with almost daily incursions recorded in close to 20 out of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) that make up the state.
In the last one week alone, the state has recorded seven attacks and six deaths, while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries, with many displaced from their homes, thereby worsening the humanitarian crisis in the state. It is important to note that these attacks, which were recorded along Ayilamo–Anyiin Road in Logo LGA, Tse Orbiam in Gwer West LGA, Anwule community, Oglewu in Ohimini LGA, and Rijo community, Ogege Council Ward of Ado LGA, all happened even after President Donald Trump’s threat to launch air strikes in Nigeria against the terrorists behind the killings of Christians in the country.
This further highlighted the boldness of the attackers who seemed undeterred and are bent on sacking unarmed Benue farmers and taking over their ancestral lands.
Speaking on the development, a former Benue CAN Chairman and General Overseer of All Nations Evangelism Ministry (ANEM), who also currently serves as the President of the Christian Association of Clergies in Nigeria (CAC-Nig), Archbishop Yimam Orkwar, in this interview, bares his mind on the killings in view of President Trump’s threat to storm Nigeria in defence of persecuted Christians. Excerpts:
I know you are aware of what transpired over the week when a major pronouncement was made by President Trump of the United States concerning the killings in Nigeria and his threat to authorise air strikes to flush out the terrorists targeting Christians in the country. As a known Christian leader in this country, do you agree that Christians are being persecuted in Nigeria?
Yes. Any Christian leader that says Christians are not being persecuted, or that genocide is not being carried out against Christians in Nigeria, is just living in self-deceit, or maybe his mouth has been closed by the powers-that-be or whatever. But the truth is, Christians are being persecuted to the level of even genocide. When you look at the dictionary or United Nations definition of genocide, you will understand there is no need arguing about terminology.
They are killing people, taking over their land, opening the stomachs of pregnant women, removing foetuses and butchering them, taking over the lands, killing old men, women, children, mature people, burning their food crops and everything. So what else is genocide? In Plateau State, there is a memorial for 502 people who were killed; they have been doing mass burials. In Yelewata here in Benue State, 200 people were killed in one operation. Another mass burial, some were burnt alive. Is it not the other year, during Ortom’s administration, that we had to bury over 70 people in a mass burial? So why are people living in self-deceit, or why is it that Nigeria doesn’t like telling the truth?
Can you explain in detail how some of these killings took place?
The killings are perpetrated by different groups. We know that Boko Haram is there in the North-East. We know of ISWAP that is operating from that axis and so on. And we know that in the Middle Belt, the main problem is Fulani killer herdsmen. We are aware of it. They are the ones killing our people, and they are not even apologetic about it. The facts are there. They have been maintaining that the Benue Valley belongs to them, they will take it over, and all of that. It is not a hidden thing. The thing started during the Buhari regime. Tinubu cannot deny the fact. It would have been better for him to say that he inherited it and is trying his best to stop it than to deny that there are targeted Christian killings in Nigeria.
Some are of the opinion that it is wrong to claim that only Christians are being killed, as people of other faiths are also affected…
We are not saying that only Christians are being killed. What we are saying is that Christians are being killed by Muslims and targeted Muslim groups. The truth is, Muslims that are being killed are Muslims who refuse to follow the radical ideology of the terrorists. These are the only Muslims being killed. But as for Christians, they are wiping out Christians, taking over their land, wiping out their identity. You cannot say that because they are killing their own brothers too, they are not killing Christians. Our own case is not that we refused their doctrine; they want to impose their doctrine on us, kill us, and take over. That is it. So you cannot say what is happening to Christians is the same thing happening to Muslims; it is not the same thing. Are Christians killing Muslims? Not one of them. It is Muslims killing Christians and killing the Muslims that are not supporting them. That is their radical ideology. So you cannot say that because they are also killing Muslims, then they are not targeting Christians. It doesn’t make sense.
Do you support President Trump’s idea of sending troops to Nigeria?
If you remember, this is not the first time President Trump has listed Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern. Even in his first tenure he did. It was President Biden that came and declassified Nigeria. During that time, how many troops did he send? He said if it is necessary, and it is not to kill civilians, he will send troops against the terrorists. So why would anybody, if you are not a sponsor of terrorists and not benefiting from terrorism, be afraid of Trump saying he will come and bomb terrorists in Nigeria? If our government cannot protect us, then it is a shame on them. Another foreign nation wants to protect us, so why are they afraid? Trump didn’t say they are coming to sack President Tinubu. They didn’t say they are coming to change the government. They said they will come after the terrorists. So if Tinubu cannot handle the terrorists or doesn’t have the political will to handle them, why can’t he just work together with Trump to flush out the terrorists?.
Do you think foreign intervention will help solve the problem?
It depends on the level of intervention. That is why I referred to the first time he put Nigeria as a CPC nation. It was a kind of intervention. Remember that during that time, Boko Haram and the rest started running. All these terrorist groups calmed down. But immediately the man lost the election, everything just mushroomed up again. It depends on the type of intervention. Let me ask you a question: if someone wants to attack you, and another person says they want to protect you because the government cannot protect you, who will you choose between the government that cannot protect you and the one that volunteers to protect you? You will obviously choose the man that is coming to protect you.
Of course, because you need to be alive. People are insinuating that they will come and take our minerals and that America doesn’t do things for free. When he did it the first time, how many mineral resources did he take from us? He is sending a message, and the people who are the terrorists have gotten the message. Some of them were running to the border with Chad. Chad closed their border; they showed it even on social media. They know that the man can do anything, so they are already afraid. If you are not guilty, why would you be afraid? If you are not a terrorist or a sponsor of terrorism, why should you be afraid?
So sending foreign troops will solve the problems?
I am not saying sending foreign troops is the only solution to the problem. What I am saying is that if that is the last resort to protect us from being butchered, then I will prefer that solution to being butchered with my people. Even this week they killed people in Benue. It is a daily occurrence. It is as if government has lost control. Why are we thinking only of political issues or what will happen? Do people’s lives matter to our government at all? People’s lives now are just numbers; they do not count again.
In view of this development, what should the Nigerian government do?
As I told you, the Nigerian government, to me, Tinubu, when he came, started like someone that wanted to do something, but I think, with all respect, he is being distracted by 2027 already. You need to have a political will to solve this problem. Just like Abacha said before, anything that continues for a long time means that the government either has a hand in it or is not interested in stopping it. That is the truth. If he has the political will and is not distracted, he can stop it. Now, if you don’t have the political will and somebody says they will help you, why not take advantage of it? Genocide is not just an issue of sovereignty. When it comes to genocide, it becomes a United Nations and universal problem. That is why the U.S. is talking about intervening because you cannot be carrying out genocide and say this is your sovereignty. Once it is classified as genocide, they can intervene. That is the truth. To me, if he cannot have the political will to stop it, then he should work hand in hand with Trump to flush out these people from our nation. The sad thing is most of them are even foreigners; they are not Nigerians. The people who brought them into the country have themselves confessed. They are the ones who brought them in, and some are still alive walking free on the streets. So if the government cannot do this thing, somebody is coming to help you. Just cooperate with Donald Trump and remove these people from our land so we can enjoy our freedom. Nigeria used to be a very peaceful country and we used to be called the happiest people on earth, but now we are like the saddest people on earth because of daily killings. People have been in IDP camps for years now simply because somebody is killing your people, taking over your land, and there is a government in power that cannot protect you. Why are we deceiving ourselves?
Is it right to have our people in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in a country that is not in a conventional war?
Certainly not. We are not in a conventional war, but then the war of terrorism is on, and government is not willing to put a final stop to it. When Buhari’s government started building these camps, we didn’t understand. We didn’t know they were going to allow Fulani to kill our people and put them inside camps. Otherwise, why would you be building IDP camps when there is no war?
What other conflict resolution mechanism do you think can be applied to address the recurring attacks in the Middle Belt?
For me, I think it is a matter of government being sincere and intentional. The problem is not unsolvable. If government will put away politics and do the needful — the essence of governance is to protect lives and property first — they can stop it. The other time it was alleged that they raised huge money during Buhari’s time, Emefiele raised that money and gave it to Miyetti Allah to settle these people to go back. What happened? They ended up giving the people money to buy more arms. After that, the situation escalated till today. Government can do something if they want to stop it.
As a President, you call a meeting and take a decision that enough is enough. First, classify the herdsmen as a terrorist group, just as other nations of the world have classified them. Why is it that Buhari pronounced IPOB a terrorist group but left out Fulani herdsmen that have been classified as a terrorist organisation and one of the most deadly terrorist groups in the world? Tinubu hasn’t classified them as a terrorist group. If you classify them as a terrorist group, you do not need to give soldiers another order because they already have orders to deal with terrorists. At least you can see that they are able to contain the Boko Haram war in Borno and, to some extent, in Zamfara.
But the herdsmen issue has escalated in the whole Middle Belt. Even Kwara State is affected. It is because soldiers cannot go after them the way they should go after a terrorist group. Soldiers will be there; they will come and kill people while soldiers wait for higher orders. So the number one thing is to classify these people as a terrorist group. The government should be intentional about it. We have the capacity and the military to do it. What we need is the political will. And you do not negotiate with terrorists. If you negotiate with them, they will use your money to buy arms and continue to kill you.
In Benue, which areas do you think are most affected by these attacks?
Which part of Benue is spared? Is it Sankera axis, Idoma axis, Agatu, Adikpo, or Kwande? Which axis is spared? Is it Makurdi-Guma? In Benue State, no place is spared. Is it Gwer West? You know yourself, you are a journalist, there is no place in Benue that is spared apart from maybe just the heart of Makurdi and the cities like Gboko and Otukpo. But every other place in the villages or outskirts of towns is affected. Is it not the other time they reached Daudu and people started running from Makurdi Northbank? In Benue State, they are everywhere.
In all of this, as a clergy in this country, what is your final word for Nigerians and this government?
My final word is that our political leaders should stop playing politics with our lives. Every Nigerian life matters. They should stand up with political will and intentionally cooperate with President Trump to stamp out terrorism — whether Boko Haram, Fulani herdsmen, or unknown gunmen — once and for all. They should see this as an opportunity, not a challenge. Trump is not coming to sack them and form another government. If they are sincere, they should see it as an opportunity to work with America to flush these people out of our land. That is my final say.
The post Tackling Trump Threat: Who is afraid of Trump? Only sponsors of terrorism — Archbishop Orkwar appeared first on Vanguard News.
