Following the recent massacre of over 200 people in Benue State, former Minister of Education and renowned public policy advocate, Dr Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, has declared that condolences or mere words after each tragedy ring hollow and decried government’s inability to protect and preserve the lives of citizens.

In a statement entitled ‘A Memo to My Fellow Citizens on the Gruesome Genocide in Benue’, she accused President Bola Tinubu, like his predecessors, of displaying “zero duty of care” towards victims of mass killings and families in the country.

“Over the weekend, our fellow citizens were slaughtered in cold blood; hundreds lost with gross impunity. Yet again, Tinubu, the man who now bears the title of Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Army, has shown zero duty of care towards the deceased, their families and the millions of Nigerians left in anguish,” the former Vice President of the World Bank wrote.

Describing the tragedy as another chapter in a pattern of “normalised genocide,” Ezekwesili criticised “the lack of fierce urgency from the Presidency and political leaders,” adding that their inaction emboldened perpetrators of violence.

“In 2018, when the most horrific massacres were unleashed against the people of Benue, following a series of attacks across the country, it was clear the Nigerian President and government of that time did not care. The world watched as our country grew indifferent to the daily slaughter of its own citizens.

“I, however, refused to stay silent. I called out then President Muhammadu Buhari relentlessly and embarked on a solo protest march to the Villa, demanding immediate and decisive action to end the bloodshed and bring the killers to justice,” she recalled.

Security operatives, according to her, were instructed to stop her, but she stood her ground, defending her right to protest, determined to send her message directly to the Nigerian government.

She added, “What many citizens – those who looked away, mocked or dismissed the solo protest – failed to realise then was that if we did not collectively demand action from the President, who holds the constitutional power and duty as Commander-in-Chief, to protect Nigerian lives, these killings would become normalised. And now, here we are – seven years later.”

Ezekwesili, who founded and chairs the board of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG), said Nigerians must no longer settle for “words of sympathy” or “feeble responses,” arguing that repeated condolences without action had lost their meaning.

“Government after government continues to show utter disregard for the lives of its citizens,” she wrote. “How much longer will we allow Presidents – past and present – to coddle the killers of our people?”

She questioned how much longer Nigerians would tolerate a political system “led by a wicked band of misleaders,” and urged citizens to unite and demand justice, accountability and people-centred governance.

“The only condolences that hold meaning for our murdered compatriots in Benue are those backed by action. It must be now,” she stated.

Ezekwesili’s intervention adds to growing public outrage over persistent insecurity in parts of the country, particularly Benue, Plateau and Kaduna states, where communities continue to suffer large-scale attacks from armed non-state actors.

Despite repeated promises from successive administrations, coordinated responses and long-term strategies to end the violence remain elusive. While the Tinubu government has pledged to prioritise security, critics say results have been negligible, with many communities still living in fear.

Ezekwesili’s message is not just a call to government, but a rallying cry to Nigerians: “When will we collectively say ‘enough’– and refuse to stand down until the underlying issues of governance are solved to end these deaths?” (The Guardian)