Sabastine Hon, a renowned legal luminary, Professor and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has raised alarm over the worsening security situation in Benue State, accusing the Nigerian military of bias, selective operations, and inaction in the face of mass killings allegedly perpetrated by armed Fulani herdsmen.
In a detailed letter dated May 26, 2025, and addressed to the Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Director-General of the Department of State Services, obtained by BusinessDay on Monday, Hon called for an urgent overhaul of “Operation Whirl Stroke,” a military task force operating in Benue and surrounding states.
Hon lamented that although the operation initially recorded success upon its launch in 2018, its performance has since deteriorated, with the current leadership allegedly ignoring attacks by herdsmen and instead focusing on local militia groups.
“While I support a wholistic and an unbiased stamping out of all forms of armed banditry in Benue State and Nigeria in general, it does appear to me that Operation Whirl Stroke is currently not interested in tackling the real security challenge confronting the State: the invasion in large numbers of heavily armed Fulani herdsmen, who have been killing and taking over the farmlands of innocent and poor farmers. I will establish this anon.
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“(a) The moment the new leadership of Operation Whirl Stroke took over in Benue State, they started selectively attacking local/indigenous militia gangs, without doing anything about the widespread and unconscionable murder of Benue people by Fulani herdsmen.
“(b) Killings in the State by the invaders have become a daily occurrence, and no one is challenging the murderers. Benue people are greeted daily by reports of their loved ones being killed, maimed, attacked and dislocated from their ancestral lands. What a big existential challenge to the good people of Benue State! (c) Contrariwise, online Facebook postings have suggested the arrest and harassment of innocent indigenous villagers by officers and men of Operation Whirl Stroke for flimsy reasons,”; the professor added.
He cited multiple news reports and editorials to back his claims, including those from Amnesty International and Daily Trust.
Quoting media reports, Hon highlighted a disturbing rise in violence, with over 2,600 people killed between January 2023 and February 2024, saying recent attacks have left dozens dead in Otukpo, Gwer West, Agatu, Logo, Ukum, and other communities, with many more displaced from their ancestral homes.
The SAN accused the military of deliberately downplaying casualty figures and alleged that the joint forces have ignored repeated appeals for reinforcements.
He also expressed concern about a confusing military structure, referring to a new security outfit, “Operation Planning Cadre,” launched in 2023, which he said may be overlapping with Operation Whirl Stroke and hindering effective action.
The letter described a recent pattern of “unbiased” responses only when military personnel are killed, citing an incident where three suspected herdsmen were neutralised after they attacked soldiers in Gwer West, while civilians remain unprotected in similar attacks.
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He said traditional institutions, including the Tiv and Idoma Councils, have issued ultimatums for herdsmen to vacate their lands, but this has reportedly triggered further bloodshed, including the May 25 attack on Solomon Atongo, a Rev. Fr. and the massacre in Aondona village the following day.
“As an apparent response to the ultimatums by the Tiv Area Traditional Council and the Idoma Traditional Council, there is an all-out invasion of Benue State by armed herders, leading to many fatalities. On May 25, 2025, Rev. Fr. Solomon Atongo was attacked on his way to Naka from Makurdi. Believing he was shot dead, the herders left him to die from his gunshot wounds. He was lucky to have been rescued after several hours by security operators and taken to the hospital”.
The professor of law warned that at least a quarter of Benue State is now occupied by invaders, calling the crisis an “existential threat” to the indigenous population. He urged security agencies to act swiftly before the state is erased “from the world map and history books.”
Concluding his letter with a passionate plea, Hon questioned the conscience and humanity of Nigeria’s security leadership, stating, “Clearly, the situation is getting out of hand; and the time for you to act is now, Sirs.”
