The Principal Special Assistant to the Governor of Benue State on Youth and Media Mobilisation, Atu Joseph, has indefinitely suspended two senior officials—Chief of Staff Mr. John Ukeyima and Chief Press Secretary Mr. Lubem Terkula—for joining protests against the persistent killings in the state.
The suspension, effective Friday, June 14, 2025, was formally communicated in a letter dated June 15 and made public on Sunday.
In the letter, Atu Joseph accused the officials of disobeying direct government orders and betraying the trust of their offices.
> “This letter serves as formal notification of your immediate and indefinite suspensions from your positions as Chief of Staff and Chief Press Secretary, effective today, June 14, 2025,” it read.
“This decision has been made due to your actions, which are considered contrary to the explicit directives of your Principal. Such conduct is a grave breach of your duties and the confidence placed in your positions. You are hereby directed to abstain from all official responsibilities and may not represent this office in any capacity during the suspension period.”
The disciplinary move comes amid heightened public outrage over escalating violence across Benue State. On Sunday, hundreds of youths staged a mass protest in Makurdi, the state capital, decrying what they described as a “slow genocide” allegedly carried out by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The immediate trigger for the protest was the gruesome massacre of nearly 250 villagers in Yelewata, Guma Local Government Area.
Protesters called for urgent government action and international intervention to end the bloodshed.
As of press time, neither Mr. Ukeyima nor Mr. Terkula had released an official statement responding to their suspension.