“If You Call for Reconciliation, You Know the Killers” — Ex-Lawmaker Slams Tinubu Over Benue Massacres

Former House of Representatives member from Benue State, Hon. Mark Gbillah, has issued a scathing rebuke of President Bola Tinubu’s stance on the prolonged killings in Benue, accusing the president of being misinformed and indirectly admitting knowledge of the perpetrators.

Gbillah’s comments followed a statement by the president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urging Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue to initiate reconciliation meetings between “warring factions” in the state. The suggestion, which frames the killings as “reprisal attacks,” has sparked outrage among many Benue indigenes.

Responding on Monday, Gbillah dismissed the notion of reprisals, asserting that what is happening in Benue is not a conflict between two equal sides but a calculated, one-sided assault on defenseless communities. “Benue is under siege. These are premeditated and unprovoked attacks, not retaliatory strikes,” Gbillah emphasized.

He went further, challenging the president’s reconciliation call:

“Mr. President, if you’re asking us to reconcile, it means you know who is attacking us. That alone is deeply troubling.”

Gbillah also condemned the federal and state governments’ handling of recent peaceful protests in the state, particularly in Gwer West, where security forces allegedly used tear gas and helicopters to disperse grieving demonstrators.

“Why were helicopters used on protesters instead of on the killers? Why teargas on youths calling for justice, yet silence when armed herdsmen strike?” he asked.

Governor Alia, who has echoed Tinubu’s suggestion that the violence may be a response from herders crossing over from Nasarawa State, also came under fire. Gbillah criticized what he described as two years of inaction and weak leadership on both federal and state levels.

“We gave the president and governor time to act. But two years in, we cannot remain silent. Our people are dying, and no one seems accountable.”

The former lawmaker’s remarks underscore the growing anger and loss of faith among Benue citizens, many of whom feel abandoned by those in power. As the crisis continues with devastating human costs, voices like Gbillah’s are amplifying demands for truth, justice, and urgent intervention—beyond what many see as hollow calls for peace.