The Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights (SNWR) strongly condemns the recent mass killings of poor peasants and farmers in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State. This brutal and avoidable massacre once again exposes the anti-people character of a government that has repeatedly shown disregard for the lives of the poor. In a society where leadership truly values human life and stands with the masses, such a tragedy would have been prevented. Instead, what we see is a system that sacrifices innocent lives while protecting the interests of the ruling elite.

From reports verified by both international and national media, the Associated Press confirms that at least 150 people were killed in coordinated attacks across Yelewata and Daudu. Vanguard reports that the death toll has exceeded 200, including displaced persons, women, children, and even security personnel. Amnesty International and Al Jazeera estimate over 100 deaths, with survivors recounting horrifying scenes of entire families burned alive in marketplaces and homes.

These are not just numbers. These are lives lost. Farmers, traders, students, mothers, children, and herders, are all victims of a failed system.

This is not a clash. It is repeated violence against the people while the state continues to turn a blind eye. SNWR affirms that the root cause of these killings is not tribal hatred or religious tension. The real culprit is the failure of the capitalist Nigerian state to guarantee land security and economic justice. Decades of state neglect and land dispossession have forced farmers and pastoralists into a brutal competition for survival.

The impact of climate change is undeniable. Desertification and environmental collapse, driven by extractive capitalism—are displacing Fulani herders from the core North, with no viable alternatives provided.

The visit of President Tinubu to Benue, which came five days after the massacre of over 200 people, was nothing short of a political show. Instead of mourning with the people or announcing urgent measures to address the insecurity, the visit took the tone of a ceremonial event, with circulars declaring a public holiday and calls for a colourful reception by Governor Hyacinth Alia. This insensitive display exposes the unserious and callous attitude of the ruling class toward the suffering of the masses.

We in the Solidarity Network for Workers Rights (SNWR) condemn this shameful response and urge the labour movement to end its complacency. It is time for the trade unions to shake off their inertia and rise to the task of defending the lives and dignity of the working people. We call on the NLC and TUC to declare a national day of action and mass protest against these continuous killings and the indifference of the ruling elites. The labour movement has the strength and responsibility to mobilize Nigerians and force the government to act.

SNWR DEMANDS:

a) Immediate end to the killings and a full, independent investigation into the massacre of over 200 people in Benue and other affected areas.

b) A halt to state repression of peaceful protesters, and an end to the use of security agencies to suppress mass dissent.

c) Establishment of democratically controlled, community-led security initiatives rooted in the participation of local working people.

d) Urgent humanitarian relief for all displaced persons and affected communities, with public accountability and democratic oversight.

e) A united movement of farmers, herders, workers, and youth to resist sectarian violence and expose the political elites fueling division for selfish gain.

We reject the divide-and-rule tactics of the ruling class who continue to arm ethnic militias while offering no real solutions to insecurity. These killings are not isolated; they are symptoms of a failed capitalist system that places power and profit over human life. Only the organised, united struggle of the working class can bring peace and justice to Nigeria’s rural and urban poor.

We call on labour unions, student bodies, youth coalitions, rural community associations, market and traders’ unions, and all progressive organisations to declare and organise a Day of Action—including protest marches, town-hall meetings, press conferences, and mass education forums—to demand an end to the killings and the beginning of real, people-centered transformation.

This is not Fulani vs Tiv—this is the oppressor vs the oppressed.

Only class unity can defeat this system of death.

Signed,

Daniel Akande

Solidarity Network for Workers’ Rights (SNWR)