Benue under siege, says Gov Alia

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State says the scale of deadly attacks in the state has gone beyond farmer-herder clashes, describing the situation as “terrorism” and declaring that the state is now “under siege.”

The governor said this on Channels Television, during an interview on Friday, where he gave a grim account of the unrelenting killings in parts of the state, particularly in the Sankera and Benue West axis.

He said in recent weeks alone, 33 people were killed in fresh attacks, while the state previously lost 73 persons in coordinated assaults across Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo local government areas.

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“Let me give the context to all these attacks. The insecurity we are fighting now started years ago. In some of these local governments, the infestation has been there for close to 10 years. In Sankera, it’s been over 16 to 18 years,” he said.

The governor noted that what started as minor communal misunderstandings between herders and farmers has now escalated into full-blown terrorism.

“At first, it was about compensation; if you destroyed someone’s farm, you paid. But later, armed herders came in with AK-47s and AK-49s. Now, even the herders are not involved. Fully armed militias come in, kill people, displace communities, and say they came to stay,” he added.

Alia said his administration has made several efforts to support security agencies, including purchasing 100 Hilux trucks and 600 other vehicles. He also acknowledged the support of the federal government in recent months.

“When we came in, 17 local governments were in the frontlines. We fought it down to nine, then to six. But in the last two months, things worsened,” he said. “The local governments being attacked are responsible for over 80 to 90 percent of the state’s food production.”

According to him, the food crisis is already looming, as farming activities in major food-producing areas like Sankera have been disrupted.

“These are the areas where rice, yams, soybeans, and other crops are grown. Benue is the food basket of the nation. If we cannot farm, then we are heading for a serious food insecurity crisis nationally,” he said.

He disclosed that there are currently 17 IDPs camps in the state, while many displaced persons now live with relatives in overcrowded homes.

Responding to a question on whether the state is facing a terror situation, the governor said, “That would be a good caption for it. We are under siege.”

He described the attacks as “directed, calibrated, planned and executed,” saying available intelligence confirms this.

“It is no longer about farmer-herder crisis. We are talking about bandits, terrorists, and specialised killers. They strike in guerrilla style, mostly at night, and disappear without trace,” he said.

On the allegations that some military personnel deployed to the state are complicit in the killings, the governor confirmed that such complaints had reached him.

“Yes, we’ve heard numerous complaints. We’ve discussed with the military and security chiefs. The Chief of Army Staff has ordered the rotation of troops who have stayed too long in certain locations,” he said.

Alia, also said the state is not ruling out self-defence as an option, revealing the creation of a Civil Protection Guard made up of civilians to support the formal joint task force.

“We are also going high-tech. With all these efforts combined, we believe we can reduce the numbers,” he said.

Asked about his political rift with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the governor admitted there was some misunderstanding.

“We cannot deny that there is some bit of political misunderstanding. I don’t want to call it a cold war,” he said. “But I believe we are working to resolve it. Our paramount ruler invited both of us to the palace, and we are making efforts toward peace.”

He called for continued support from citizens and stakeholders, saying that the security of the state requires the cooperation of everyone.