A respected Nigerian lawyer, Professor Sebastine Hon, has written a petition to President Bola Tinubu, asking him to declare a state of emergency in Benue State.
He made this request because of the increasing violence and loss of innocent lives in the state. Professor Hon believes that urgent and strong action is needed to stop the attacks and restore peace.
In his petition, he blamed Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, for not taking the crisis seriously. He accused the governor of calling the deadly attacks “small fights” and failing to take proper action.
Hon said that recent events, such as the attack on Agan community on May 29, 2025, and the killings in Naka and Edikwu-Ankpali on June 1, 2025, were not addressed by the state government. The governor did not visit the victims or make any public statements after these tragic incidents.
Hon also criticized the governor for making light comments on social media during the crisis. He said it was wrong for the governor to be celebrating his second year in office while people in his state were being killed.
The lawyer shared that he had also written to top security officials in the country, including the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector-General of Police, but these efforts have not helped, as the violence continues.
He expressed deep concern that the governor keeps calling these killings “skirmishes,” as if they are not important. Hon said this attitude shows the governor is unwilling to act. He also pointed out that on the same day of one of the attacks, political thugs were seen at the Government House chanting in support of the governor. This, he said, was very upsetting.
According to Hon, anytime people criticize the governor or suggest ways to improve the situation, they are attacked online by the governor’s supporters. These supporters accuse them of trying to use the crisis for politics, instead of understanding that people are genuinely worried.
Hon noted that even the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, had spoken about the governor’s silence after more than 50 people were killed. He also said the military in Benue State is not helping the situation.
In some cases, Hon believes they are allowing the attackers to do as they please. For example, during the attack on Agan community, which is close to a military base, no soldiers came to help.
He shared another incident where a priest, Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo, was attacked close to a military checkpoint on May 24, 2025. The soldiers nearby did nothing to help. Hon said there are even online reports and accusations from Catholic priests that the military might be involved in these attacks. Over 15 churches have closed in Benue because of safety concerns.
Hon explained that the attackers often travel in large groups on motorcycles, yet they pass through roads with military checkpoints. He wonders how they are able to do this without being stopped.
He added that people often post warnings on social media when they see these attackers coming. These posts turn out to be true, but the military still fails to act. He said that even if official intelligence fails, the social media alerts should be enough to respond in time.
He compared the situation in Benue to other parts of Nigeria where the military uses drones and helicopters to stop attacks. He questioned why Benue State is not getting the same level of attention and support.
Because of all these issues, Hon strongly urged the president to declare a military state of emergency in Benue. He reminded the president that the Nigerian Constitution allows for this action when a state is in serious trouble.
To support his argument, Hon mentioned that the U.S., which operates a similar system to Nigeria’s, has declared national emergencies many times. These actions have often been successful in solving major problems.
He ended his petition by asking the president to remove and replace all the military commanders in Benue State. He also said it would be better to change the ground troops as well because they have failed to protect the people.
