The wife of President Bola Tinubu, Oluremi, has paid and offered condolences to Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia and the entire state populace following recent fatal attacks The First Lady, who made the visit on Tuesday after receiving the Super Falcons in Abuja, condoled with the people particularly those in Yelwata and Dauda communities.
She condemned the killings as heart-wrenching and unnecessary. She emphasized that Nigeria’s diversity is supposed to help the nation grow as a people and not destroy us. Mrs. Tinubu implored all residents to set aside differences and return to a state of harmonious and peaceful coexistence.
She stressed that when there are disagreements, dialogue and patience remain the best solution, rather than violence.
According to her, the way of peace is the way of love and love is the greatest power on earth. She highlighted that peaceful co-existence is crucial for the prosperity and development of any community, people, or nation. Acknowledging Benue’s critical role as the nation’s food basket due to its rich agricultural resources, she noted that the state has a significant contribution to make to Nigeria’s growth and food security.
Mrs. Tinubu assured the attendees that all concerns raised by previous speakers would be communicated directly to her husband, Tinubu and other relevant authorities. Mrs. Tinubu, on behalf of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), presented a cheque of N1 billion to Alia. This substantial donation is intended to assist the victims of the recent attacks and killings in rebuilding their lives and restoring their livelihoods.
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However, Hyacinth Alia remarked that the recent violence in the state underscores the urgent necessity for decentralized policing mechanisms, specifically state and community policing. He stated, “This just underscores the urgent need for State and community Policing which will ensure swift and timely response, effective intelligence information gathering and safer communities.” Governor Alia commended Mrs. Tinubu’s ‘Renewed Hope Initiative’ for its compassionate and supportive endeavors.
He expressed that “Benue State is overwhelmed by your thoughtfulness, kindness, compassion, empathy and support. We see this and it is a much-admired leadership we appreciate and cherish.” Furthermore, Professor James Ayatse, the Tor Tiv, urged security agencies to intensify efforts to dislodge killer herders who continue to terrorize the state. He described their activities as a severe ailment that threatens to consume the nation if left unchecked.
The traditional ruler lamented that these acts of violence have stripped Benue of its “food basket” status, as farmers now live in constant fear of accessing their farmlands. He appealed to the government for swift intervention to ensure a significant increase in food production, praying for the immediate expulsion of these “killer/herder terrorists” and for assistance to be provided to affected communities, enabling Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) to return to their ancestral lands and resume farming.
