Former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Michael Aondoakaa, has called on the United States government to extend its air strike operations to Benue State, citing what he described as an escalating presence of terrorists and armed groups in the region.
Aondoakaa made the appeal during a late-night consultation dinner with political stakeholders in Makurdi on Friday, an event that stretched into the early hours of Saturday and drew leaders from both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
His remarks followed recent U.S. air strikes on Islamic State-linked camps in the Bauni forest area of Sokoto State, carried out late on Christmas Day.
“There are terrorists in Benue State. The US air strikes should have started here before going to Sokoto. The air strikes are long overdue in Benue,” Aondoakaa said.
He argued that several local government areas in the state had been overrun by armed groups whom he said were posing as herders, accusing them of violently displacing communities and taking over farmlands.
According to Aondoakaa, herders who initially entered the state under the guise of grazing had become heavily armed, attacking residents, destroying livelihoods and occupying ancestral lands.
The former AGF, who is seeking the governorship of Benue State in 2027, criticised the state government for what he described as a lack of sensitivity to the worsening security situation, insisting that U.S. air strikes would significantly help to curb the violence.
He also condemned the spate of killings across the state, particularly the reported massacre in Yelwata community, where about 200 people were allegedly killed in a single day.
Aondoakaa, however, commended President Bola Tinubu for his efforts to tackle insecurity nationwide and called for sustained federal support to prevent further attacks in Benue State.
He assured residents that, if elected governor in 2027, the protection of lives and property would be his top priority, pledging to strengthen security measures across the state.
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