BAR. IDOKO: THE BENUE GENOCIDE DEBATE — WHEN POLITICAL CORRECTNESS OVERSHADOWS TRUTH

 

 

 

 

In the ongoing national conversation about the killings across Nigeria especially in Benue State. one thing has become painfully clear: truth is now subject to political convenience.

Recently, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu stated that there is no Christian genocide taking place in Nigeria. Expectedly, his Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, aligned perfectly with this position. But what shocked many Benue people was the public stance of our own Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia a Catholic priest, a man many believed would speak boldly in defence of his flock.

This disappointment is not without context.

Before now, the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese raised a loud and emotional alarm, crying out about the systematic, targeted, and unrelenting attacks on Christian communities in Benue State. Entire villages have been sacked, farmlands abandoned, people displaced, and countless lives lost. These are not abstract stories, Benue lives the pain every single day.

Most recently, the Tor Tiv also affirmed that what is happening in the state bears the clear marks of a calculated genocide, this was after the Yelwata unprecedented massacre. These are voices that cannot be easily dismissed. They are grounded in reality, not political strategy.

Yet, when those in power choose political correctness over moral responsibility, the truth becomes the casualty.

Benue’s tragedy is not merely about who is right or wrong, it is about leaders who should speak for the people but instead speak to protect their political alliances. When leaders begin to adjust their tongues to suit Abuja rather than reflect the cries of their people, the state loses more than just moral leadership; it loses its voice.

The contradictions among our top political figures expose a growing culture where survival in power outweighs the duty to protect the powerless. The lives lost, the communities displaced, and the fears gripping ordinary citizens should never be trivialised or rebranded for national optics.

Benue deserves honesty.
Benue deserves courage.
Benue deserves leaders who will stand with the people even when political calculations demand silence.

The world may choose narratives that suit them, but the truth remains: our people are bleeding, and those meant to speak for us are choosing their words too carefully.

Okwiye fa🥲