By Bashir Bello, Abuja.
The Idoma Association USA has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, over the worsening insecurity in Benue South Senatorial District, calling for the immediate deployment of military and other security forces to halt what it described as the sustained massacre of the Idoma people by armed herdsmen.
In an open letter made available to journalists, the association said the recurring attacks across Idoma land had become a national emergency requiring urgent presidential intervention.
The letter, signed by the President of the association, Prince Dr. Edwin Ochai, and its Secretary, Chief Sylvester Onche Steno, was addressed to President Tinubu, with copies forwarded to the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector General of Police, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Distinguished Senator Comrade Abba Moro, the Och’Idoma and the President General of Ochetoha K’Idoma.
While commending President Tinubu for his leadership in the successful rescue of the Oyo school children and their teachers, the association appealed to him to demonstrate the same resolve in ending the persistent attacks on communities in Idoma land.
According to the association, armed herdsmen attacked Akpachi village in Ugboju and Otukpo Nobi communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State on July 11 and 12, 2026, killing at least 20 people, injuring dozens and razing several houses.
It said the latest attacks were not isolated incidents but part of a decade-long campaign of violence that has claimed hundreds of lives across Agatu, Apa, Otukpo, Ohimini, Okpokwu, Ado, Obi and Oju local government areas.
The association expressed concern that the latest killings allegedly occurred despite prior intelligence reportedly received by the Och’Idoma and promptly communicated to the relevant security agencies before the attacks.
“What deepens our anguish is that these massacres were preventable. His Royal Majesty, the Och’Idoma, received prior intelligence of the planned attack and immediately alerted the relevant security agencies. That warning was ignored, the attackers came, and our people died,” the letter stated.
Questioning the nation’s security response, the association asked: “If actionable intelligence cannot save our people, what can?”
It argued that the constitutional responsibility of government to protect lives and property had not been effectively discharged in respect of the Idoma people.
“The Idoma people are bona fide citizens of this country, entitled to the same protection as any other Nigerian, yet for over a decade our communities have been overrun, our farmers butchered in their fields, our women violated, our children orphaned, and our people displaced as refugees in their own land. The killers are not ghosts; they are armed men who operate with impunity, and no one is held accountable,” the association said.
The group, however, commended the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, for visiting the affected communities, describing the visit as the first since the attacks began.
“We commend the Governor of Benue State for visiting the affected communities in Idoma land, the first such visit since these attacks began. His presence among our grieving people is a meaningful gesture and it has been noted by the Idoma Nation,” the letter said.
The association, however, stressed that sympathy alone was insufficient.
“Our people need more than condolence. They need the security architecture of the State deployed to ensure they never again receive their Governor in mourning.”
Among its demands, the association urged President Tinubu to immediately deploy military and other security personnel to neutralise armed groups operating in the forests of Benue South, order a thorough investigation into the recurring massacres, ensure the arrest and prosecution of all perpetrators, investigate why intelligence supplied by the traditional institution was allegedly ignored, establish permanent security outposts in vulnerable communities, and provide humanitarian relief, medical care and compensation for victims and affected families.
Appealing directly to the President, the association maintained that although the Idoma people had remained peaceful despite years of repeated attacks, their restraint should never be mistaken for weakness.
“We have shown restraint in the face of sustained provocation, but our patience must not be mistaken for weakness, and our blood is not worthless,” the letter stated.
It added: “We seek justice, we seek protection, we seek to live in peace on the land of our ancestors. These are not unreasonable demands; these are the minimum expectations as citizens.”
The association urged the Federal Government to act decisively to restore security to Idoma land and prevent further bloodshed, warning that continued inaction could worsen the humanitarian situation in the area.
