CODWA Urges Benue, Other Affected Communities to Unite Against Armed Herdsmen
By Ayodele Fayemi, Lagos
The Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) has denounced the persistent massacres and violent attacks occurring in Benue, Plateau, and other regions across Nigeria, labeling the killings as both “relentless” and “barbaric.”
In a statement issued on Tuesday by its Executive Director, Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye, CODWA expressed deep concern over the growing normalisation of violence and the alarming silence or inaction from all levels of government.
“These atrocities are becoming disturbingly routine, while the government continues to respond with indifference,” the statement said.
CODWA called on local communities, civil society organisations, and regional actors to unite in defending themselves, reclaiming their lands, and safeguarding their environment and cultural identity from what it described as “systematic and coordinated violence.”
The group also criticised the failure of successive Benue State governments to effectively address the escalating insecurity, highlighting former Governor Samuel Ortom as the only leader who made genuine efforts to confront the crisis.
Otitolaye stated, “The federal government appears more focused on politicising the suffering of the people than on protecting them, leaving innocent citizens vulnerable to widespread terrorist attacks, especially in the Benue and Plateau regions.”
CODWA reaffirmed its solidarity with victims and their families, accusing the government of prioritising political power and corruption over the safety and well-being of its citizens.
“We urge all affected communities and regional stakeholders to form a unified front to defend themselves, reclaim their ancestral lands, and protect their environment and heritage from destruction,” the group urged.
It also condemned what it described as the Tinubu administration’s failure to tackle nationwide insecurity, warning that rampant corruption and the consolidation of political power were steering the country toward a one-party dictatorship and police state.
The organisation further encouraged the establishment of Collaborative Community Outreach Vigilante (C-COV) groups to secure forests, lands, and local communities.
CODWA concluded by calling for urgent, people-centered solutions to end the violence, restore peace, and deliver justice to affected regions.
