A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and constitutional law expert, Chief Sebastine Hon, has petitioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, calling for the immediate declaration of a military state of emergency in Benue State, following a surge in deadly attacks across the state.
In the petition personally signed and submitted on Monday, Hon accused the Benue State Government, led by Governor Hyacinth Alia, of negligence, insensitivity, and an alarming failure to address the worsening security crisis in the state.
Highlighting recent deadly attacks in communities such as Agan (May 29), Naka, and Edikwu-Ankpali (June 1), the legal luminary lamented the absence of any government response or visit to the affected areas. “On May 29, 2025, Agan Community, right in Makurdi city, the state capital, was attacked in broad daylight. Today marks four days since then, and our dear governor has not deemed it fit to issue a statement consoling the victims, not to talk of visiting the bereaved families,” Hon stated.
He decried the governor’s decision to continue with public celebrations while residents were being killed, describing it as a grave misjudgment. According to Hon, the governor has repeatedly downplayed the killings as “mere skirmishes,” despite clear evidence of organized and sustained violence.
The SAN further criticized the ineffectiveness of security forces in the state, alleging that soldiers at checkpoints have failed to intervene during attacks. He cited the May 24 assault on Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo, which occurred just 500 meters from a military checkpoint. “None of the soldiers came to his rescue until the attackers left him for dead,” he noted.
Frustrated by what he described as the state’s lack of political will, Prof. Hon urged President Tinubu to act decisively and deploy fresh military leadership to the region. “The way and manner they are operating in the state is clearly unsatisfactory,” he said.
In his petition, Hon drew historical parallels to previous emergency declarations in Nigeria — such as Tafawa Balewa’s 1962 declaration in the Western Region, Olusegun Obasanjo’s in Plateau (2004) and Ekiti (2006), and Goodluck Jonathan’s in Borno and Plateau (2011) — stressing that Benue’s current situation meets and exceeds the thresholds of those past crises.
He also referenced former U.S. President Donald Trump’s 2025 emergency proclamation on border security, arguing that the justifications Trump used are “precisely what is happening in Benue State.”
“The sovereignty of Nigeria is under very serious risk! No situation is more fitting to declare a military state of emergency in Benue State. The time for you to act is now, Sir!” Hon concluded.
The petition adds to the growing public outcry over the deteriorating security situation in Benue, where attacks by armed groups have led to the deaths and displacement of hundreds in recent months.
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