AVID seeks justice for victims of Benue massacre, punishment for perpetrator

AVID seeks justice for victims of Benue massacre, punishment for perpetrators

By Steve Oko

American Veterans of Igbo Descent, AVID, has demanded justice for victims of Benue massacre and punishment for perpetrators and their sponsors.

AVID in a statement by its President, Dr Sylvester Onyia, strongly condemned the genocidal attack on innocent citizens of Benue State by suspected herdsmen which claimed over 200 lives over the weekend.

Arguing that lack of action against the perpetrators will only embolden them for more atrocities, AVID called on the international community to hold the masterminds accountable.

AVID asked:”What role has the silence of international actors played in enabling this genocide-by-default?

The group regretted that Nigeria ignored warnings by the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who in his many broadcasts, predicted that the persistent unprovoked attacks by herdsmen had a veiled motive.

According to AVID, the Benue massacre and similar atrocities in Plateau and other parts of Nigeria, are part of the secret agenda by “some dark forces” to dispossess indigenous Nigerians of their ancestral land.

The statement made available to Wawa News Global read in part:”We wish to draw the urgent attention of the international community, human rights organizations, and global democratic institutions, to the ongoing atrocities occurring in Benue State and other indigenous regions of Nigeria.

“These massacres are part of a sustained ethnic cleansing campaign that has accelerated since the illegal
abduction and detention of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.”

AVID expressed shock that Nigeria Government which hurriedly facilitated the extraordinary rendition of Kanu from Kenya since 2021, had not taken any swift action to clamp down on the perpetrators of “ethnic cleansing in the country”.

“Mazi Kanu, a British citizen and prominent voice for indigenous self-determination, was extraordinarily renditioned from Kenya in 2021 in clear violation of international law.

“His continued detention, despite multiple court orders for his release, is not a matter of legal oversight — it is
part of a broader, chilling plan to silence resistance against armed Fulani expansionism and enable the violent subjugation of indigenous communities.

“The latest mass killings in Benue State have exposed the cost of silencing voices of truth. Mazi Kanu consistently warned of this impending horror — the planned domination of indigenous lands through sponsored terror disguised as herdsmen attacks.”

Kanu’s warnings ignored

“His prophetic warnings were ignored. Instead, he was labeled a terrorist, while the actual perpetrators of terror are emboldened by the Nigerian state.

“The world must now ask:Why is a peaceful advocate of self-determination in prison while Fulani militants roam free? Why is the Nigerian government more focused on crushing dissent than protecting lives?”

AVID called on “the United Nations, African Union, and ECOWAS to demand Mazi Nnamdi Kanu’s immediate and unconditional release.”

It also urged the United Kingdom Government “to act decisively in defense of its citizen whose fundamental rights have been flagrantly violated.”

The statement further called on the global community “to hold the Nigerian government accountable” for not doing enough to quell “ethnic cleansing while suppressing dissent.”

“Nnamdi Kanu’s continued detention is the green light for more massacres. The world must not stay silent”, AVID declared.

 

Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.

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