CALABAR (CONVERSEER) – The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, has raised concern over the worsening security crisis in Benue State, warning that the escalating violence could spill into neighbouring Cross River if urgent measures are not taken.
Speaking during plenary on Tuesday at the Assembly Chambers in Calabar, Ayambem called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive and proactive action to end the wave of killings and insurgent activities ravaging Benue and other parts of the country.
His remarks followed a solemn moment in which the House observed a minute of silence in honour of over 200 villagers reportedly massacred by insurgents in a Benue community.
Condemning the unchecked violence, the Speaker described the situation in Benue and nearby Niger State as “intolerable,” stressing that the continued loss of innocent lives demands immediate attention from the Federal Government.
“The mayhem in Benue and nearby Niger State has become intolerable. The killings in Benue State must be stopped, and the perpetrators brought to book. This must be done swiftly to protect our people living in neighbouring areas,” Ayambem stated.
He further called for enhanced security presence across all communities bordering Benue, to prevent potential incursions into Cross River, which shares a boundary with the troubled state.
While expressing solidarity with the government and people of Benue State, the Speaker reiterated the urgent need for the establishment of state police as a lasting solution to the rising insecurity in Nigeria.
“With state police, the infiltration of strange elements into our communities can be identified, reported, and neutralised in time,” he said. “Every Nigerian life must be treated equally. No one Nigerian is more Nigerian than the other.”
Ayambem emphasised that relying solely on a centralised police system has proven insufficient in addressing the complex security challenges across Nigeria’s diverse regions.
He urged the Federal Government and National Assembly to expedite constitutional amendments to enable states to create and manage their own security apparatus.
The Speaker’s remarks add to growing calls from political and civil society leaders nationwide who are advocating for the decentralisation of security to better protect lives and property at the grassroots level.