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On November 16, 2025, a powerful coalition of Middle Belt luminaries amplified their urgent warnings about what they term systematic genocidal attacks and ethnic cleansing targeting Christian communities in the region. Spanning retired military brass, former governors, senators, traditional rulers, and clergy, these influential voices are demanding immediate national and international intervention to halt the escalating violence.
The alarm, detailed in a curated compilation by BENUE info-pedia, highlights over two dozen prominent figures who have publicly decried the killings. Leading the list is former Chief of Defence Staff T.Y. Danjuma from Taraba, followed by ex-Senate President David Mark of Benue, and former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara from Southern Bauchi. Current Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang joins predecessors like Gabriel Suswam (former Benue Governor) and Jonah Jang (ex-Plateau Governor), alongside Samuel Ortom, another Benue alum.
Military perspective comes from retired Army General Lawrence Onoja, hailing from the Benue/Plateau axis. Political heavyweights include former Youth and Sports Minister Solomon Dalung of Plateau, Senators Titus Zam (Benue North-West), Abba Moro (Benue South), Emmanuel Bwacha and David Jimkuta (both Taraba South), and ex-Senator Danjuma La’ah from Southern Kaduna.
House of Representatives members and former reps round out the roster: Daniel Asama (Bassa/Jos North, Plateau), Dachung Bagos (Jos South, Plateau), Ishaya David Lalu (Mangu/Bokkos, Plateau), alongside past members Orker Jev, Samson Okwu, John Dyegh (all Benue), Terseer Ugbor (Kwande/Ushongo, Benue), and Dickson Tarkighir (former Benue rep). Former Minority Whip Umar Barde from Kaduna and Iyorwuese Hagher, ex-Ambassador to Canada and Mexico from Benue, add diplomatic and legislative weight.
The list extends to institutional voices, including the Taraba State House of Assembly (2022), which petitioned the UN over “genocide,” Hezron Fada, President of Bwatiye Development Association in Adamawa, and Tor Tiv Professor James Ayatse Iorzua, Paramount Ruler of the Tiv Nation. Clerical input features Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.
These leaders assert that the pattern of assaults—marked by coordinated invasions, farm destructions, and church burnings—exhibits hallmarks of genocide aimed at displacing Christian populations and altering demographic landscapes. They call for bolstered security, impartial investigations, and global scrutiny to prevent further catastrophe.
As tensions persist in Benue, Plateau, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, and beyond, this unified front underscores a deepening crisis demanding swift action from Abuja and the international community. The Middle Belt’s plea echoes a desperate bid to safeguard lives and preserve Nigeria’s pluralistic fabric amid rising insecurity.
