Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has sharply criticized both the Federal Government and Benue State Government for failing to bring to justice suspects arrested over killings in the state.
Falana made this known in a statement released under the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), an organization he leads.
He pointed out that while several suspects have been arrested over time for serious crimes like illegal gun possession, murder, and kidnapping, most of them never face trial or get punished.
His comments follow President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to Benue, where Tinubu directed the police to arrest and prosecute those responsible for the ongoing violence.
Falana, however, doubted the president’s order would lead to results, stressing that previous arrests have rarely ended with convictions or justice for the affected families.
He also criticized Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, for blaming residents of Yelwata for allegedly helping the attackers, saying it was wrong to blame the victims instead of fixing security issues.
Falana listed several examples to show that many arrests have been made, but no real action followed. For example, on December 30, 2024, the state police commissioner announced that 273 people had been arrested and guns recovered.
On January 17, 2024, police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi revealed that they had found an illegal gun factory in Benue and arrested two suspects with several locally made weapons.
He added that on April 17, 2025, the Benue governor said three herdsmen were caught for killing 11 people in Otobi, Otukpo Local Government Area.
More recently, on June 19, 2025, three kidnappers were arrested at Otukpo motor park with ransom money they had collected from their victims.
Falana further stressed that from January to June 2025, many suspects were taken into custody for violent crimes, including 43 people arrested within just 10 days. Yet, despite all these arrests, little or no prosecutions have taken place.
He concluded by saying the government is treating these violent offenders as if they are above the law. He called on Benue’s Attorney-General, Fidelis Mnyim, to step up and ensure justice is finally served.
