PAG27 Movement Rejects Proposed DDR Center in Benue: A Dangerous Gamble with Security and Justice

The PAG27 Movement unequivocally rejects the proposed Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) center announced by Hyacinth Alia for Benue State.

While presented as a “carrot approach” to insecurity, this initiative is not only ill-timed but deeply dangerous to the peace, safety, and moral conscience of the Benue people. At a time when communities across Logo, Guma, Gwer West, Kwande and other local government areas continue to mourn their dead, the proposal to rehabilitate so-called “repentant bandits” sends the wrong message — morally, politically, and strategically.

At a time when Benue communities are still burying their dead and rebuilding shattered homes, the proposal to establish a DDR center for so-called repentant bandits is not just controversial — it is deeply alarming. The people of Benue deserve protection, not experimentation.

PAG27 stands firmly with the victims — not the perpetrators.

Understanding the Proposal

The governor has proposed establishing a DDR center in Anyiin, Logo Local Government Area. According to state officials, over 1,170 individuals have reportedly been screened, with about 400 expressing willingness to surrender their arms and undergo reintegration under a model described as “UN-certified.”

The initiative is said to focus on individuals portrayed as victims of forced recruitment rather than hardened criminals. It has been framed as a structured rehabilitation strategy, allegedly similar to the federal government’s Safe Corridor initiative.

Consultations were reportedly held with stakeholders, including Bishop Isaac Dugu and certain security officials, with federal approval expected from the Chief of Defence Staff.

However, beyond the language of “peacebuilding” and “mindset correction,” serious and fundamental questions remain unanswered.

Why PAG27 Rejects the DDR Initiative

1. It Rewards Violence and Punishes Law-Abiding Citizens

The most dangerous implication of this DDR proposal is the moral hazard it creates.

What message does it send to:

The widow in Yelwata who lost her husband?

The farmer in Guma whose land was seized?

The displaced families in Daudu still living in fear?

When killers are offered rehabilitation, stipends, training, and reintegration without transparent justice, it appears that violence becomes a pathway to negotiation.

Law-abiding citizens who endured suffering receive no equivalent support. Meanwhile, those who picked up arms are promised rehabilitation facilities.

This reverses justice.

2. Benue Is Not a Post-War Zone — It Is an Ongoing Crisis

DDR models are typically deployed in post-conflict environments after a formal cessation of hostilities. Benue State is not in a post-war phase. Killings and attacks have continued in various communities.

Introducing DDR while violence persists creates three major risks:

It may embolden criminal networks who see surrender as temporary.

It could provide cover for infiltration and intelligence compromise.

It risks reintegrating individuals into traumatized communities without closure.

Without full cessation of hostilities and transparent security guarantees, DDR becomes premature and destabilizing.

3. Lack of Transparency in Screening and Assessment

The government claims that 1,170 individuals were screened and 400 have shown willingness to surrender. However:

Who conducted the screening?

What criteria defined “no prior criminal history”?

How were victims consulted?

What legal processes accompany reintegration?

Security secrecy cannot replace public accountability. When communities that have suffered massacres are not included in consultation frameworks, distrust becomes inevitable.

The absence of open assessment mechanisms increases the risk of reoffending and community backlash.

4. It Ignores the Core Drivers of Insecurity

Banditry and armed attacks in Benue are not random acts of youthful delinquency. They are structured, organized, and often connected to land disputes, territorial expansion, and broader security failures.

Rehabilitating individuals without addressing:

Illegal land occupation,

Cross-border arms trafficking,

Weak border enforcement,

Prosecution gaps,

And federal security coordination failures,

is treating symptoms while leaving the disease untouched.

5. It Deepens Trauma and Undermines Victim Confidence

Communities that have witnessed killings in places like Yelwata and Daudu remain emotionally fragile. Public trust in security institutions has already been strained.

Establishing a rehabilitation center for perpetrators in the same region risks:

Re-traumatizing survivors,

Fueling resentment,

Triggering protests,

Creating community-security friction.

Peace cannot be built by sidelining victims.

6. The Dangerous Precedent

If this DDR proceeds, what prevents future criminal elements from:

1. Committing violence,

2. Negotiating surrender,

3. Receiving rehabilitation benefits?

Without visible and credible prosecution for serious crimes, the line between justice and appeasement becomes blurred.

Benue cannot afford to institutionalize a cycle where crime becomes negotiable.

PAG27’s Position: Security First, Justice Always

The PAG27 Movement believes peace is not achieved by shortcuts. It is secured through:

Strong intelligence-driven security operations,

Community policing structures,

Victim-centered justice,

Strategic land protection enforcement,

Youth employment and economic empowerment before recruitment into crime, and firm prosecution of perpetrators.

Rehabilitation may have a place — but only after:

1. Clear justice processes,

2. Victim consultation,

3. Full cessation of attacks,

4. Legislative oversight,

5. Transparent operational frameworks.

Anything less risks legitimizing impunity.

The Real Priority for Benue

Benue needs:

Security stabilization.

Agricultural protection zones.

IDP resettlement frameworks.

Rural defense reinforcement.

Economic empowerment for vulnerable youth.

Clear deterrence against armed aggression.

The people of Benue are not asking for negotiation with killers. They are asking for protection.

A Call to the Federal Government

Since the proposal requires federal approval, we call on the Chief of Defence Staff and national security authorities to carefully assess:

The current security climate,

The risk of reintegration without justice,

The community impact,

The broader signal it sends nationally.

Benue must not become an experimental ground for policies that compromise security.

Conclusion: Peace Without Justice Is Fragile

The PAG27 Movement stands firmly with the grieving families, displaced farmers, widows, and children whose lives have been shattered by violence.

DDR, in its current proposed form, is dangerous, premature, and morally inverted.

Peace in Benue will not come by accommodating violence.

It will come by protecting citizens, enforcing justice, restoring land security, and rebuilding trust.

We therefore reject the proposed DDR center and call for a comprehensive, justice-centered security strategy that prioritizes the safety and dignity of the Benue people above political experimentation.

Benue deserves protection — not pacification.