The Benue State House of Assembly has urged Governor Hyacinth Alia to fully implement the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law, 2017, following the recent deadly attack by armed Fulani herdsmen in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area.
In a resolution passed during Tuesday’s plenary session, the lawmakers condemned the attack as a “coordinated invasion, massacre, genocide, and acts of terrorism”; by Fulani militia, which resulted in numerous deaths and the destruction of entire households.
The resolution followed an urgent motion of public importance moved by Uche Terwase Peter, representing Guma 1 State Constituency, who reported that the assailants used sophisticated weapons, including explosives and incendiary devices, to kill victims and burn down homes, wiping out families of up to ten members.
The Assembly also called on Governor Alia to declare three days of mourning from Wednesday, June 18 to Friday, June 20, 2025, to honour the victims of the Yelewata massacre and other similar attacks across the state.
Members of the Assembly unanimously condemned the killings as “barbaric”; and an act of “ethnic cleansing,”; urging the governor to take urgent and decisive action to stop the violence. They criticized the failure of security agencies to act proactively, as reported by Citizen Television.
The legislators also advised Benue residents to remain vigilant and to defend themselves lawfully amid escalating insecurity.
