Former Executive Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, has called on former governors, legislators, traditional rulers, and other stakeholders in Benue State to set aside political and personal rivalries and unite to end the relentless violence and killings across the state.
Mrs. Waziri made this appeal on Saturday during a visit to the Yelwata community and an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Makurdi, where she donated relief materials to victims of recent attacks. The items, delivered under the auspices of her non-governmental organization, Women, Youth, Children and Crime Organisation (WYCCO), included bags of rice, sugar, tubers of yam, and various household essentials.
“This is no time for division,” Waziri stated. “It is no time for political squabbling or ego-driven manoeuvring. Among us are men and women who have led this state—former governors, legislators, traditional rulers—individuals with influence and authority. The time has come to stand united, for the sake of the ordinary Benue man, woman, and child.”
Quoting Winston Churchill, Waziri warned against complacency in the face of mounting insecurity, noting that the continued failure to act could result in an irreversible crisis. “Churchill once said: ‘If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed… you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival.’ That moment is close,” she said.
The retired Assistant Inspector General of Police and Principal Partner at Brookfield Chambers, Abuja, lamented that dialogue alone would not resolve the deep-seated issues fueling the violence. While acknowledging the efforts of President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit to the state, she maintained that urgent and practical steps must follow. “Before the Yelwata massacre, communities in Gwer West, Apa, and Guma had endured weeks of killings and raids. These horrors are not isolated—they are rooted in ethnic and religious tensions, rampant banditry, drug abuse, cultism, and the unresolved herder-farmer crisis,” she said.
Waziri stressed the need for honest engagement and practical solutions from leaders at all levels. “We cannot keep going in circles. There is no room for blame games. What we need is courage and pragmatism. Let us commit, as one people, to healing our wounds, reclaiming our land, and ensuring that never again will a child in Benue grow up in a camp instead of a home.”
She concluded with a rallying call to all Benue indigenes, both at home and abroad, to take active interest in finding lasting solutions to the crisis. “The current situation should concern every son and daughter of Benue, whether living within the state or in the diaspora. We must collectively uncover the root causes of these attacks and work together to bring an end to these barbaric acts.”
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