NYSC Withdraws Corps Members in Benue as Government Denies Herdsmen Killings
In a damning confirmation of the ongoing bloodbath in Benue State, the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has officially withdrawn corps members from Mbaa community in Kwande Local Government Area due to relentless attacks by suspected Fulani herdsmen. While the state government continues to downplay and outright deny the killings ravaging Benue, this latest move by NYSC exposes the grim reality: Benue is under siege, and the government is failing its people.
According to a statement issued by the Assistant Director of Information and Public Relations, Yahuza Adamu, the decision to withdraw corps members was necessitated by incessant attacks on the community, which shares a boundary with Cameroon. The move follows reports that over 20 people, including 16 farmers, were brutally murdered, their bodies later found floating in River Katsina Ala—a haunting testament to the ongoing genocide in Benue State.
Yet, despite these undeniable atrocities, the Benue State Government remains complicit in its silence. The same officials who should be protecting the people continue to gaslight victims and deny the reality of Fulani herdsmen’s terror. While NYSC has acted responsibly by prioritizing the safety of corps members, one must ask: What about the people of Mbaa? What about the innocent farmers slaughtered in their own land? Who will protect them?
The audacity of state officials to pretend that all is well while communities are wiped out is both shameful and unforgivable. While the NYSC’s proactive approach deserves commendation, it is a stark reminder that the government has abandoned its primary duty: safeguarding lives and property.
Benue cannot continue to suffer in silence. The people demand action, not empty denials. The killings in Kwande and across the state must be acknowledged, and those in power must be held accountable for their complacency. The blood of the innocent stains the hands of those who choose to look away.
