Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on President Bola Tinubu to act swiftly in restoring peace and security in Plateau and Benue States following continued attacks and killings by armed herders and gunmen.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Falana expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence and blamed the crisis on the failure of both federal and state governments to enforce the ban on open grazing. He recalled that Northern governors banned open grazing in February 2021, with Southern governors doing the same in May 2021, and that the federal government adopted ranching as a policy in 2022. However, he lamented that these measures have not been effectively implemented.
“As a result of this failure, hundreds of innocent people have lost their lives to armed herders and other gunmen,” Falana said.
He urged President Tinubu, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, to immediately direct the 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army and the Assistant Inspector General of Police in Zone 4, both based in Jos, to move in and restore law and order.
“The President must not delay any further,” he warned, stressing that inaction is costing lives daily.
Falana’s statement comes amid growing public outrage over renewed violence in both Plateau and Benue states, where communities continue to suffer deadly attacks, leaving many dead and thousands displaced.
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