…Pledge ‘sustained advocacy.’
…“Your presence is Christ-sitting with us” – Gov Alia
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The leadership of 19 Northern States’ Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and FCT, has again restated its condemnation of the killings in Benue State, describing the incident as a “national tragedy” that demands honest conversation and urgent intervention by the Nigerian State.
The condemnation was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Northern CAN Chairman, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, after a condolence visit to the state by a high-powered delegation.
The delegation, comprising CAN Chairmen, Secretaries, youth and women leaders from across the North and the FCT, was received at the Government House in Makurdi by Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
Addressing the governor and stakeholders, Rev. Hayab rejected the prevailing narrative of “herders-farmers clashes” as variously perceived and claimed by some political leaders, as the root causes of the killings, insisting that the reality is far more complex and sinister.
“This is not a herders-farmers crisis, and we must stop describing it as same,” the governor said, added that, “If you don’t make the right diagnosis, you will never administer the right treatment. We must call these killings what they are and face the situation with honesty and courage.”
He emphasized that, while Northern CAN had issued several press statements condemning the killings, the visit was a step further in showing solidarity with the people of Benue, whom he described as the food basket of the nation and a critical part of Nigeria’s stability.
“Beyond our prayers, we will continue to speak truth to power and engage national leaders on sensitive issues of national importance until meaningful change is achieved,” Hayab added.
Responding, Governor Alia thanked the delegation for the visit and described it as a “divine gesture” that brought comfort, healing, and spiritual strength to the grieving state.
“As I was shaking hands with all of you and feeling your warmth, what ran through my mind was this: ‘I am’ because you are, and ‘you are’ because ‘I am.’ That is Christianity. That is the message Christ preached – love,” he said.
He further remarked that the presence of the delegation symbolized Christ sitting with the people of Benue in their moment of pain.
“You are not just sitting here. It is Christ who is sitting on each of the chairs you occupy. That is how much this visit means to me and the good people of Benue,” Governor Alia restated.
While lamenting the scale of the killings, the governor stressed the sacredness of human life, saying that even one death is too many, let alone hundreds.
“When one life is lost, it is one too many. And when the numbers keep rising, you wonder what is going on. But your visit, your prayers, and your presence are a complete interpretation of the good things that God is bringing out of a very bad situation,” he said.
He appealed to the Christian community to remain steadfast in praying for the peace of Benue and Nigeria as a whole.
The visit concluded with prayers for the victims, their families, and the state. The delegation reaffirmed Northern CAN’s commitment to sustained advocacy, justice, and peace-building efforts in Benue and beyond.
Recalled that over 200 innocent people men, women and children each were killed and slaughtered in Agatu, Yelewata and several others murdered in recent Benue state communities terrorists attacks.