Cephas Iorhemen 
Prior President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Benue State on Wednesday following the massacre of over 200 residents in Yelwata community, the Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has urged him to take decisive and practical steps to restore lasting peace to the state.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with New Telegraph in Makurdi, the National President of the MBF, Dr. Bitrus Pogu, described the President’s decision to visit Benue—postponing his earlier planned trip to Kaduna—as a significant show of concern and leadership.
Dr. Pogu said Tinubu’s presence in the state, which has been under siege from armed herdsmen, signals hope for residents who have endured years of relentless attacks.
“This visit is commendable. Unlike former President Muhammadu Buhari, who never visited during the crises and even told former Governor Samuel Ortom to live in peace with the attackers, Tinubu is showing empathy by being here physically,” he said.
Dr. Pogu, however, stressed that the time for talking is over, and concrete action must follow.
“We’ve had enough. The talking time should be over. It is time to act. Even if what these invaders are doing is Jihad, the Usman Dan Fodio Jihad didn’t conquer Benue—why should they now?” he queried.
He warned that continued inaction could push people towards self-defense as the only remaining option. “We must think outside the box and do the needful to defend ourselves. That’s the only way forward,” he said.
Dr. Pogu described the Yelwata massacre as “dastardly,” lamenting the terrorists’ increasing use of brutal tactics.
“These killers now apply new strategies—they use their guns to threaten and then machete their victims or burn them alive. It’s barbaric and must be condemned,” he said.
The MBF leader also called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to revive the anti-open grazing law passed by the Benue State House of Assembly under the previous administration, saying it was effective in regulating the activities of herdsmen and promoting peaceful animal husbandry.
He noted that the law helped former Governor Ortom stabilize the security situation in the state and urged that it be reinstated to curb the rising violence.
Dr. Pogu also praised President Tinubu’s move to reconcile Governor Alia with his political opponents in the state, including the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, saying political harmony is crucial for peace and good governance.
On national security, Dr. Pogu called for an urgent overhaul of the country’s security architecture, expressing concern over the ethnic composition of the nation’s top defense positions.
“Our National Security Adviser is Fulani, our Minister of Defence is Fulani, and the Minister of State for Defence is also Fulani. This needs to be looked into—not because of ethnicity per se, but because the optics matter, and there must be balance,” he said.
Dr. Pogu concluded by calling for sincerity of purpose from the federal government in ending the bloodshed, warning that failure to act decisively now could embolden further atrocities.
