Benue Massacre Sparks Calls for Peaceful Break-Up of Nigeria by Youth Group
In the wake of the horrific massacre of over 200 people in Benue State, a youth-led organization known as the Concerned Awakened New Generation Youths (CANG-YOUTHS) has issued a bold call for a national reckoning. The group is urging a peaceful disintegration of Nigeria, citing persistent insecurity and systemic failure to protect lives, especially in minority regions.
In a statement titled “Benue Killings: Is It Not Time To Rethink Nigeria?”, CANG-YOUTHS condemned the government’s inability to prevent repeated mass killings, particularly in the Middle Belt. According to the group, the tragic events in Benue highlight the Nigerian state’s failure to uphold its fundamental duty—safeguarding its citizens.
They argued that the recurring violence in regions like Benue, often targeting ethnic minorities, shows that the idea of a united Nigeria no longer works for all its constituent groups. The statement demanded that the various ethnic nations within Nigeria be given the right to self-determination.
“We urge President Tinubu to initiate a peaceful and democratic process that would allow the constituent nations to decide their future. We must stop pretending we are united when, in reality, many are marginalized and left vulnerable,” the group declared.
The youth movement also called on fellow Nigerians and affected communities to join the campaign to “reawaken and rethink” the country’s continued unity. “We can no longer afford to ignore the bloodshed. A better future depends on our courage to confront the truth and act decisively.”
They extended an invitation to all oppressed communities across Nigeria to support the push for a people-led restructuring or separation: “Let us demand a future built by us and for us.”
The most recent atrocity took place in Yelwata, a village in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, between the night of June 13 and 14, 2025. Eyewitnesses recount a highly organized and brutal assault, with heavily armed gunmen attacking the village from multiple directions, opening fire, and setting fire to shelters.
Over 200 civilians—many of them women, children, and displaced persons—were killed. Thousands more fled into nearby forests to escape the bloodshed. Reports indicate that the attackers used advanced weapons and deliberately blocked escape routes to maximize casualties.
While no group has taken responsibility, the attack bears hallmarks of assaults previously attributed to armed herders, many allegedly of Fulani origin. Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, revealed that some local collaborators may have provided the attackers with logistical support, including food, shelter, and information about the location of the targeted IDP camp.
Benue State has long suffered from clashes between nomadic herders and local farmers—primarily Tiv and Idoma ethnic groups—fueled by disputes over land and worsening by climate-induced migration. Rising desertification in the north has forced herders southward, deepening tensions with farming communities.
As the death toll rises and outrage spreads, public pressure is mounting on the federal government to take decisive action. Yet, for groups like CANG-YOUTHS, the issue goes far beyond security—it is about reimagining the very structure of the Nigerian federation itself.
