The National Association of Nigerian Students, Joint Campus Council, Lagos State, has condemned the killing of over 150 Nigerians in Benue State, describing it as a national shame and a reflection of government’s persistent failure to protect its citizens.
In a statement released on Monday and signed by its Chairman, Abdul-Raheem Abdul-Quadri, NANS Lagos expressed outrage over what it described as “the senseless massacre of innocent farmers, traders, women, and children” in Guma and surrounding communities.
The group said the attack, which has left entire families wiped out, homes destroyed, and children orphaned, is a stain on the conscience of the nation.
“This carnage, which has left families torn apart and entire communities in mourning, is not only a tragedy, it is a damning indictment on a country that claims to be governed by law,” the statement read.
NANS JCC Lagos faulted the slow response from President Bola Tinubu, whose visit to the affected area was only scheduled five days after the killings.
“It raises serious questions about leadership priorities and national empathy,” Abdul-Quadri said.
The group also blamed the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, for failing to act swiftly and decisively in his role as the Chief Security Officer of the state.
According to them, the governor’s reaction has fallen far short of the gravity of the situation, and his silence has been too loud.
Calling for decisive action, NANS Lagos urged Tinubu to not only visit the affected areas, but to do so with a clear plan for compensation and rebuilding, “not for photo ops, but for genuine assessment and solidarity.”
They also demanded the immediate establishment of a judicial panel of inquiry with representatives from civil society and the student movement, to probe the massacre and ensure those behind it are held accountable.
The group emphasized the need for a complete overhaul of security strategy in rural Benue, insisting that protection of lives must move beyond reactive policing.
“We need boots on the ground before the next attack, not after. That’s the only way the people will begin to trust the government again,” said the group’s Public Relations Officer, Comrade Ridwan Ajayi.
NANS also stressed the urgency of support for victims, many of whom have lost everything, urging both state and federal authorities to provide psychosocial aid, relief materials, and rebuilding funds to the displaced and grieving.
They further demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators and their sponsors, warning that impunity and silence from government officials only embolden more violence.
“No one should be above the law, no matter how highly placed. If these killings go unanswered, we risk normalising barbarism,” the statement warned.
Describing the situation as part of a disturbing trend of unchecked violence across the Middle Belt, NANS said Nigeria is at a tipping point where mass murder is becoming routine.
“If the government cannot guarantee safety and justice, then it loses its legitimacy in the eyes of the governed,” the students said.
They vowed to mobilise if necessary, stating that student leaders have a duty to speak for the voiceless and ensure that such bloodshed never happens again.
“Never again should Nigerian children go to bed and not wake up. Never again should our leaders place optics above real action. Never again should lives be treated as expendable,” the statement added.
In what they called a final warning to the political elite, NANS JCC Lagos said, “The patience of the Nigerian people is wearing thin. You cannot keep issuing empty statements while citizens are buried in mass graves.”
