University of Jos Students Protest Benue Mass@cres, Demand End To Killings In North-Central Nigeria
Dozens of students from the University of Jos staged a peaceful solidarity walk on Friday to protest the ongoing mass killings and violent attacks affecting Benue State and other parts of North-Central Nigeria.
The demonstration was a unified cry against what organisers described as “ethnic cleansing,” “land grabbing,” and the systemic targeting of farming communities in the region.
The protest began at 10:00 AM at the P-Site Main Gate of the University of Jos (Naraguta Campus, Permanent Site), drawing students and members of the public who dressed in black to symbolise mourning for the victims.
The marchers displayed placards and chanted solidarity slogans demanding justice, safety, and an end to the violence.
The peaceful walk was organised in collaboration with the National Union of Benue State Students (NUBESS). It was officially announced through a memo jointly signed by the union’s President, Kangyang J. Pwajok, and Secretary, Dauda Jonathan Shupkuk.
In the memo, the student leaders condemned the wave of killings across Benue, Plateau, and other states in the North-Central geopolitical zone, particularly referencing the recent massacre in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, where over 200 villagers were reportedly killed.
The memo partly reads “It is with deep sorrow and grave concern that we address the ongoing, repeated killings across Benue, Plateau, and other parts of North-Central Nigeria. These violent acts have claimed the lives of our parents, our peers, and the very future of our nation—the youth.
“In the face of this tragedy, we rise in unity and join the National Union of Benue State Students (NUBESS) in a peaceful solidarity walk. This is not just a protest; it is a powerful message to the nation: Enough is enough.
“We particularly condemn the recent massacre in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, where over 200 innocent lives were brutally taken. We walk to mourn, to speak out, and to stand together in the face of injustice—because an injury to one is an injury to all.
“We encourage everyone to wear black as a symbol of our collective grief and dismay over these tragic events.
“Let us march in unity, in peace, and in strength—demanding safety, justice, and a Nigeria where all lives matter.”
The protest drew further support from the Revolutionary Socialist Movement (RSM), whose members joined the march with banners bearing slogans such as “Stop Killing Farmers!”, “Land Reform and Nationalisation of Ranching Reserves!”, and “Mass Mobilisation and Nonviolent Resistance to End Attacks on Farming Communities.”
Other slogans on the banners included: “Establishment of Community-Based Workers’ and Farmers’ Guards,” “Land Reform and Nationalisation of Ranching Reserves,” and “Mass Mobilisation and Nonviolent Resistance to End Attacks on Farming Communities.”
The RSM also called on the working people of Nigeria to unite against the divisive tactics of the ruling class and to reject the capitalist system that perpetuates inequality and violence.
