IPOB Lawyer Ejiofor Asks Tinubu To Declare 'State Of Emergency' In Benue State

Amid the intensifying violence in Benue State, a legal practitioner and public affairs analyst, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, has issued a public statement urging President Bola Tinubu to invoke constitutional powers and declare a "state of emergency" to curb the ongoing security breakdown.

Ejiofor, who is also counsel to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), described the situation in Benue as a “relentless and gruesome massacre of innocent civilians,” adding that “following the recent exoneration of Fulani herdsmen by the executive governor, Hyacinth Alia, it has become imperative for the Nigerian government under Tinubu to invoke its constitutional mandate to protect lives and preserve national security.” 

He cited Section 305(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which he said “empowers the President to declare a State of Emergency where there is a breakdown of public order or imminent danger to life and property.”

“Given the scale and persistence of the ongoing attacks - allegedly perpetrated by foreign militias infiltrating through the Cameroon border as reported by the Governor - this constitutional threshold has clearly been surpassed,” Ejiofor stated.

He warned against politicising the crisis, saying, “This is no time for political appeasement or partisan manoeuvring. The foremost duty of any government is the protection of its citizens and the defence of its territorial integrity. By absolving known actors and trivialising verified threats, the Benue State government risks eroding the very foundation of national security coordination.”

Calling for firm federal intervention, Ejiofor demanded that “the Federal Government must empower the Nigerian security apparatus with full operational autonomy to launch comprehensive operations aimed at identifying, isolating, and neutralising the foreign insurgents terrorising peaceful communities. These unprovoked assaults on the aboriginal people of Yelwata and surrounding villages must be confronted with a unified national resolve.”

He also criticised Governor Alia’s handling of the crisis, remarking that “the Governor, as a former spiritual leader turned political figure, must recognise that in times of crisis, leadership demands constitutional fidelity, courage, and unequivocal action - not deflection or denial."

"If the burden of political office has become too heavy, perhaps a return to the pulpit may better serve his conscience and calling," he stated.

Decrying the human cost of the violence, he stressed that “the lives of Benue’s indigenous peoples must never be reduced to political bargaining chips. Their only ‘crime,’ it seems, is their ancestral heritage and legitimate claim to their homeland.”

Ejiofor concluded his statement with a solemn warning: “Nigeria stands at a crossroads. History will neither forget nor forgive those who remained silent or complicit in the face of a preventable genocide. The time for rhetorical posturing is over. The time for decisive constitutional action is now.”

The crisis in Benue state has led to global outrage.

Previously, the United Nations acknowledged that it is monitoring the ongoing massacre in Benue State.

This was disclosed by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the Secretary-General. “We’re monitoring the situation,” he said.

“The Secretary-General condemns the killing of innocent civilians, including in Nigeria, and we hope that those responsible for this violence will be found and apprehended.”

This development comes amid growing outrage over the continued killings and the seeming inability of the government to halt the massacres.

In a related development, Amnesty International, in a strongly-worded statement, said: “The horrifying killing of over 100 people by gunmen that invaded Yelewata from late Friday into the early hours of Saturday shows the security measures government claims to be implementing in the state are not working.”

The human rights watchdog decried the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the region, warning that “the Nigerian authorities must immediately end the almost daily bloodshed in Benue State and bring the actual perpetrators to justice.”

President Tinubu has scheduled to visit on Wednesday after condemnations on his refusal to visit the state.