A rising wave of Nigerians on social media are urging the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in Benue State after a reported 200 people were killed in a violent two-day attack allegedly carried out by suspected herders. The scale of the tragedy has sparked outrage and renewed calls for swift government intervention.
Many users have drawn comparisons between the government’s silence on the Benue killings and its decisive action in Rivers State earlier in March 2025, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara was suspended and a state of emergency was declared. Critics argue that the Benue crisis, which involves significant loss of life, deserves at least equal, if not greater, attention.
Commentators have described the Federal Government’s handling of the Rivers crisis as excessive, particularly given that it stemmed from a political dispute without any casualties. They are now questioning the seeming disparity in responses and demanding that similar urgency be shown in addressing the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Benue.
