A former attorney general of the federation, Michael Aondoakaa, has called on the United States to extend its recent air strikes in northern Nigeria to Benue State, arguing that the scale of violence there now warrants international military intervention.
Speaking at a late-night consultation dinner with political stakeholders in Makurdi on Friday, Aondoakaa said Benue had become a haven for terrorists and bandits, insisting that US air operations were “long overdue” in the state.
The meeting, which stretched into the early hours of Saturday, brought together senior figures from both the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), underlining the breadth of concern over the deteriorating security situation.
Aondoakaa’s comments follow US air strikes on Islamic State-linked camps in the Bauni forest area of Sokoto state, carried out late on Christmas Day. While those operations were welcomed by federal authorities, the former justice minister argued that Benue’s plight had been ignored for too long.
“There are terrorists in Benue state,” he said. “The US air strikes should have started here before going to Sokoto. What is happening in Benue demands urgent action.”
According to Aondoakaa, several local government areas have effectively fallen under the control of armed groups who initially arrived as herders but later took up weapons against host communities. He accused them of destroying farms, displacing residents, and occupying ancestral lands, turning once-productive areas into zones of fear and abandonment.
The former minister, who served as attorney general and minister of justice under two administrations, used the occasion to criticise the Benue state government for what he described as a lack of empathy and urgency in responding to the violence. He argued that decisive military support, including foreign-assisted air operations, would significantly weaken armed groups and restore confidence among displaced communities.
Aondoakaa, who is positioning himself for the Benue governorship race in 2027, pledged that security would be his overriding priority if elected. “The first duty of government is to protect lives and property,” he told the audience. “Without security, development is impossible.”
He also condemned the spate of mass killings across the state, singling out the reported massacre in Yelwata community, where about 200 people were said to have been killed in a single day, as evidence of a crisis spiralling out of control.
While pressing for stronger action, Aondoakaa praised President Bola Tinubu for what he described as renewed efforts to confront insecurity nationwide, calling for sustained federal backing to prevent further attacks in Benue.
He further acknowledged the roles of the secretary to the government of the federation, George Akume, and a former Benue governor, Samuel Ortom, in promoting unity in the state, urging political leaders to set aside differences in the face of a common threat.
Ortom, who also addressed the gathering, expressed confidence in Aondoakaa’s capacity and temperament, describing him as a leader with the experience and humility to make a meaningful contribution to Benue’s future. He stressed the importance of strategic partnerships that cut across party lines, arguing that cooperation, rather than rivalry, was essential to pull the state out of insecurity and underdevelopment.
The former governor also praised Aondoakaa’s record in office, noting that he left the role of attorney general without scandal, and acknowledged Akume’s long-standing influence on Benue politics. He ended with a call for prayers, urging Nigerians to support leaders in making decisions that would serve the broader national interest.
