Apostle Suleman Urges Benue Residents to Take Up Arms as Herdsmen Attacks Persist

Security alarm bells are ringing in Benue State as Apostle Johnson Suleman, Senior Pastor of Omega Fire Ministries, calls on residents to defend themselves. Posting on Facebook on June 16, 2025, he accused the federal government of failing its duty to protect citizens amid relentless herdsmen attacks—urging community action.

Suleman referenced constitutional provisions supporting self-defence and said residents of Jos and Benue had the right to arm themselves when the state’s security architecture fails them. “If the federal govt knows it’s overwhelmed… they should be humble enough to tell the citizens,” he declared, emphasising that passive waiting is no longer viable.

He described violence in Benue as “evil, barbaric and a mayhem,” urging: “PEOPLE OF BENUE, DEFEND YOURSELF.” The cleric’s warning highlights a surge in attacks causing fear and displacement across multiple local government areas in the state.

Amidst the outrage, Suleman decried politicians who are fixated on 2027 campaigns while citizens suffer in 2025. “It’s ridiculous that people are thinking of 2027 whilst mayhem is being unleashed… what happened to your humanity?” he posed, questioning leaders’ moral compass.

This isn’t the first time Suleman has spoken out. In 2018, he warned that herdsmen killings were financed by unknown “sponsors,” and criticised the government’s reticence to disarm assailants. He insisted defensive weapon ownership is protected by international norms.

Benue’s history of violence includes the tragic Agatu massacres of February–March 2016, where 300–500 people were killed and thousands displaced during herder-farmer clashes over land and water. That period saw communities forming self-defence militias to fend off attackers.

Apostle Suleman’s clarion call resonates amid ongoing insecurity and state inaction, reviving debates on civilian defence and community vigilance. As death tolls rise and homes burn, believers and non-believers alike are asking whether it’s time to take up arms—or if deeper reform is the answer.