Nigeria has very restrictive gun laws, none of which prevented a brutal attack on the village of Yelewata this past weekend. According to news reports, at least 100 people were killed and dozens more are missing after attackers opened fire on residents, as well as setting homes on fire and trapping people inside.
The number of casualties is still up in the air, with the Nigerian government's official total standing at 59 dead. Groups like Amnesty International, on the other hand, say the number of slain victims could be as high as 200. ABC News says it's "unclear" who was responsible for the assault, but a local priest who witnessed the attacks said the perpetrators were Fulani herdsmen who shouted "Allahu Akhbar" as they carried out their killing spree.
In the aftermath of the attack, many local residents are demanding they be able to defend themselves against future atrocities, but the local governor says now is not the time for self-defense.
In the wake of one of the deadliest attacks in Benue State's recent history, Governor Hyacinth Alia has cautioned against citizen-led retaliation, urging a structured, community-based approach to intelligence and security.
Speaking during an interview on AIT's "Kakaaki" program, the governor addressed the raw emotions gripping the state following the massacre in Yelewata.
"Where you have people who just decide to work up because of sentiments and emotions that are attached... I think we're rendering ourselves a bit more vulnerable," Governor Alia stated, directly addressing calls for armed self-defence.
"So, I wouldn't advocate for self-defence," Governor Alia stressed, and instead, passionately appealed for a focus on grassroots intelligence gathering.
"I would encourage us all to keep calling for community policing because it's the only way. It's the only people from within the state and the local government who would understand what is going on with them," he emphasised.
There are reports that local police were able to repel one attack on a church before the perpetrators turned their attention to the market square in Yelewata, where they "targeted displaced families, set fire to their buildings as people slept, and attacked with machetes anyone who tried to flee."
It's absolutely appalling that the powers that be are demanding the targets of these murderers remain unarmed and unable to defend themselves. Clearly community policing isn't the only way to stop this violence. It doesn't seem capable of stopping the violence at all, given that this is far from the only attack to have taken place in Benue State in recent years, though it is apparently the deadliest. In fact, this is the third attack to take place in less than a month.
Just weeks before the Yelewata killings, Aondona village in Gwer West LGA witnessed another deadly raid.Gunmen believed to be herdsmen attacked the community, killing at least 20 people and injuring many more. Local residents said the attackers moved with precision, setting fire to homes and opening fire on those trying to flee.
The assault further heightened tensions across Benue, with many criticising the federal government for failing to respond effectively to earlier warnings.
Barely 48 hours before the Yelewata massacre, another bloody episode unfolded in the Makurdi Local Government Area.
Gunmen stormed the communities of Mtswenem and Akondotyough Bawa, killing about 25 residents.
The back-to-back attacks—first in Makurdi and then in Guma—sent shockwaves across the state and reinforced fears that Benue was under siege.
Self-defense is a human right, and the Nigerian government is violating the human rights of the residents of Benue by depriving them of their ability to protect themselves, their families, and their communities from those intent on wiping them out. There have been growing calls to radically reform the country's restrictive gun laws and allow people to possess and carry guns for personal protection, but government officials and some NGOs have claimed that doing so would only lead to "anarchy."
Let's assume that to be true for a moment. Isn't that still better than what's happening now: the systemic slaughter of hundreds of unarmed and defenseless villagers with a government unable to stop the terror?
Civil wars are bad. Genocides are worse. And if we're forced to choose between the two, I'll take the option that gives me and my family a fighting chance of survival every time.
If you're the praying kind, pray for the helpless people in Benue who, unable to legally defend themselves, are now at the mercy of a government unable to protect them from their attackers. Thank God that we live in a nation where the right to keep and bear arms aren't just words on a piece of paper, but a fact of life for tens of millions of residents. And the next time you hear someone say that our own political tensions are justification to disarm us, point to the massacres in Nigeria as living (and dying) proof that gun control is a terrible way to protect human life.
