*Declares After Encounter with Protesters on Makurdi-Abuja Road
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Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has issued a strong call to action for political leaders across the country following a firsthand encounter with displaced Nigerians protesting worsening insecurity in Benue State.
In a statement shared Tuesday, Okutepa recounted how the major highway from Makurdi to Lafia and Abuja was completely blocked by internally displaced persons (IDPs), who lay across the road in a peaceful but powerful demonstration. No vehicle could move. No one could pass.
“Their demand was clear and singular they wanted to see their governor and ask why, for the past two months, their plight had been neglected,” he said.
The protest occurred just as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) held a regional security summit in Makurdi, themed “Strengthening Security, Rule of Law, and Justice Delivery in North Central Nigeria.” Okutepa noted the irony of witnessing, in real-time, the human consequences of the very issues being debated by legal professionals and politicians at the summit.
Quoting Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, which states that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” Okutepa lamented what he described as a government dangerously close to failure.
“Nigerians are not asking for too much. They want food security, social security, employment security, and above all, safety of their lives and property,” he stated. “But how can welfare exist in the absence of peace and security?”
According to the senior lawyer, the rising level of insecurity across Nigeria has rendered even basic constitutional rights like freedom of movement almost meaningless. “Travelling by road has become a high-risk venture. Bandits and kidnappers have nearly paralyzed the nation,” he said.
He criticised the government’s inability to translate promises into practical outcomes. “While the government may claim to be doing its best, we must ask: where are the results? Nigerians need more than press statements.”
Okutepa also cited the alarming theft of public infrastructure — manhole covers, electric cables — as clear indicators of a society grappling with deep-rooted insecurity.
He warned that unless urgent steps are taken to address the breakdown in security, Nigeria risks further decline in food production, economic stability, and public trust in governance.
“It is time for Nigerian politicians to shift focus from sycophancy and performative governance to real leadership. Our security situation is dire, and addressing it can no longer be delayed.”
His message concluded with a clarion call to unity: “When people unite for their common good, no government can ignore them. Today, I witnessed the true power of the people.”
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