Veteran musician 2Face Idibia has expressed his disapproval of the startling level of insecurity in Benue state, where he is from.
The artist expressed his sorrow over the state’s ongoing flooding, which has now turned into a “national emergency,” in a video that was made public online.
’My heart is heavy, terribly sad, terribly angry! It’s become a national emergency what is going on in my state, Benue state….I can’t wrap my head around it. It’s just business as usual. Condemn the killings but this thing has to stop. This thing has to involve everybody in this country. It is not child’s play. It’s becoming ridiculous. Haba! I don’t even know where to express my sadness, my grief, my anger, my frustration, for this thing to keep happening over and over again..every time it happens we will call on the governor, call on the President…Hab!!! This thing is not funny. It’s not funny anymore. It’s gone beyond condemning. Serious action needs to start to take place”
Recall that hundreds of people in Yelewata, Benue state were slaughtered by herdsmen who came in from Nasarawa state. Makurdi, the state capital, is less than 40 minutes’ drive from Yelwata, a town that borders Benue and Nasarawa states. Around 10 p.m. on Friday, the attackers broke inside the village, and they continued to operate unopposed until the wee hours of Saturday, June 16.
Reports state that the invaders overran Yelewata from two directions, defeated the young people and police officers who resisted, and then opened fire on the community members and defenseless internally displaced people (IDPs) who were seeking shelter in market stalls.