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CATHOLIC CHURCH MEMBERS IN BENUE HOLD PRAYER WALK FOR VICTIMS OF GUNMEN ATTACKS, CALL FOR PEACE
Members of the Catholic Church in Benue State, on Thursday morning, staged a solemn prayer walk in Gboko, calling for the restoration of peace and justice in the state amid ongoing violent attacks by suspected herdsmen.
The peaceful procession, led by the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, drew dozens of church members, priests, and residents.
The participants carried banners and placards with messages like: “Pray for victims of herdsmen attack and for restoration of peace.”
The symbolic march came a day after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to the state, which saw heavy mobilisation and a public holiday declared by the State Government.
Tinubu arrived at the Nigerian Air Force Base in Makurdi around 12:58 pm on Wednesday, where he was received with fanfare.
The State Government, led by Governor Hyacinth Alia, ordered massive mobilisation of support groups to line up the roads and march with the President from the airport through Wurukum Roundabout to the Government House.
In a memo dated June 17, 2025, and signed by Hon. Francis U. Ngutswen, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Groups Mobilisation, the Governor directed that a “colourful shoulder-to-shoulder spread/procession” be staged in honour of Tinubu.
The letter also outlined strict accreditation protocols tied to “numbers and colours,” urging group leaders to coordinate logistics with the Governor’s Office.
However, the Catholic Church’s action appears to contrast with the government’s political display, with a more grounded expression of the people’s pain.
During his visit, President Tinubu held meetings with traditional rulers, religious leaders, youth representatives and other stakeholders.
He acknowledged the urgency of the crisis, stating: “The value of human life is greater than that of a cow. And it is only when you open the door for conflict that political enemies will come in. Political enemies, they don’t want you to succeed. Are you just realising that?”
He also pointedly asked why no arrests had been made, directing his concern at the heads of the country’s top security and intelligence agencies.
Present at the meeting were the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa; the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed; and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Adeola Oluwatosin Ajayi, among others.
Tinubu urged the security chiefs to urgently identify, apprehend, and prosecute those responsible for the violence, which has led to the deaths of hundreds and the displacement of thousands in the State.
“How come no arrest has been made? I expect there should be arrests of those criminals,” the President said.
“Let’s get those criminals. Let’s get them out. So DG NIA and DG SSS (State Security Service), retreat your information channels, and let’s have tangible intelligence that this will not occur again,” he said.
The symbolic march came a day after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to the State, which saw heavy mobilisation and a public holiday declared by the State Government
