Benue Governor Accuses Abuja Politicians Of Backing Violence In The State

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has accused top politicians based in Abuja and the National Assembly of sponsoring violence in the state by allegedly supporting and providing for the perpetrators of ongoing attacks.

Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Alia described the situation as “very unsettling,” claiming these politicians were more focused on securing their positions than safeguarding the lives of citizens.

“It is very, very unsettling because top politicians who are very functional and are in the National Assembly and are in Abuja, are the architects and arrowheads of not just instigating, but harbouring and keeping these people and feeding them in the bushes, and taking care of all their needs and buying all the other gadgets for them,” the governor said.

“This is extremely unacceptable. If they do not love the lives of the people and they’re only fighting for their own position, I think I am serving the interest of the common masses and it is a concern to me, and it is my right to protect it.”

Though he did not mention specific names, Alia disclosed that a judicial panel had been set up to probe the persistent attacks. He said the interim report already submitted had implicated several high-profile individuals, and that a full report would be submitted next week.

“We set up a judicial panel to sort out for us why we kept having attacks from within and from without, and we have received an interim report. Between Tuesday and Wednesday next week, I am going to get a full report from the panel.

“So once we receive this report that is coming, we are going to take it up and take it up very seriously. There are quite a lot of big names that are mentioned here, so this is where we are,” he added.

Alia further stated that Benue is “under siege,” insisting that the violence is no longer about farmer-herder clashes but a form of organized terrorism.

“We are under siege. The way these attacks come and the intel we receive, it is a directed, calibrated plan and then executed. Daily, we are receiving that intel. Of late, each of the intel we receive, 60 to 65 per cent of it is quite accurate.

“And then when you realise what is going on, it is beyond just conflict, it is beyond just an ethnic fight between herders and farmers in our state, it is directed, it is planned and then it is executed, it is some terrorism,” he said.