Onuesoke condemns recurring Killings in Benue, appeal for UN intervention

By Atevure Princess,

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 A Chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Delta State Chief Sunny Onuesoke has condemned in strong terms, the recurring invasion and killing of the people of Benue State by suspected herdsmen and the concomitant nonchalant cum indifferent posture of the Federal Government concerning the problem.

Onuesoke, a former governorship aspirant, made the condemnation during a condolence visit to Mbalon Catholic Church in Gwer East Local, Benue state, where two pastors and several Church members were reported killed recently, appealed to United Nation Human Rights Council to intervene in the unjust killings of the people.

He warned that the rampant killings in Benue State in particularly and the incident at the Catholic Church in Ukpor- Mbalom Community were clearly aimed at stoking up religious conflict in the country.

The PDP strongman equally expressed concern over the security situation in the country and urged the Federal Government to overhaul the Security apparatus to avoid incident of future killings in the country.

Onuesoke lamented that as a result of the killings, thousands of people, particularly women and children have become displaced in their own home land, stressing the need for the federal government and international communities to be more sensitive to the humanitarian challenges in the state.

“I am joining others in condemning these killings not only in Benue alone, but all other states where killings of women and children are taking place across the country. I am therefore imploring the federal government and the international partners to spread their humanitarian intervention beyond the North Eastern part of Nigeria,” Onuesoke, who is the Founder of Onuesoke Foundation, appealed.

Meanwhile, Onuesoke appealed to the UN Human Rights Council to intervene in the killings taking place all over Nigeria, stressing that the organization should do all in its capacity to expose and hold perpetrators of human rights violations to account for their atrocities.

According to him, “While Nigerians acknowledged that UN Human Rights Council had made significant contributions to human rights elsewhere, they are concerned that the violence and killings in Nigeria rarely attract the attention of the UN and particularly, the office of Human Right Council.

“ It is time for the office to speak out strongly against the continuing killings by suspected herdsmen in Nigeria for the sake of thousands of victims and their families who continue to lack access to an effective remedy, including truth, justice and full and effective reparation,” Onuesoke added.

He lamented that the continuous killings in Benue State, adding that the distressing situation of farmers and their families paint a stark picture of the grave abuses carried out by suspected  herdsmen and the impunity  they continue to enjoy.