Daily Justice - Latest News Updates in Nigeria

In a powerful statement issued on 22 April 2025, prominent Nigerian barrister Sir Ifeanyi Ejiofor has called for indigenous communities in Benue and Plateau States to organise lawful self-defence measures in response to a wave of deadly attacks by terror herdsmen. The coordinated assaults, which occurred in the days leading up to Easter and on its eve, claimed dozens of lives, leaving communities in despair and highlighting what Ejiofor describes as the "impotence of official responses."

According to reports, the attacks form part of a recurring pattern of violence in the region, with terror groups targeting innocent civilians in what Ejiofor terms a "sustained annihilation agenda." Despite assurances from the Governor of Benue State, a member of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who praised the Federal Government’s support while simultaneously appealing for further intervention, no decisive action has curbed the bloodshed. The Governor’s contradictory stance underscores the severity of the crisis and the apparent inability of authorities to protect vulnerable communities.

Adding to the official response, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence relayed a presidential directive ordering security forces to pursue and prosecute those responsible. However, Ejiofor notes that these pronouncements have been accompanied by little tangible progress, as the violence continues unabated.

In light of this failure, Ejiofor has urged communities to take their safety into their own hands, calling for "urgent and lawful" organisation to defend ancestral lands and heritage within the bounds of Nigerian law. “Indigenous communities can no longer afford to entrust their safety to a system that has persistently failed them,” he declared, warning that history will judge harshly those who remain silent or inactive in the face of such an existential threat.