Omotayo Adigun
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has issued a strong statement declaring that the state is currently “under siege” and is increasingly losing ground to armed Fulani herdsmen.
Speaking to the congregation after a mass at the Chapel of Grace, Government House, Makurdi, Governor Alia called on the people of Benue State to be highly vigilant and to promptly notify security agencies of any suspicious movements within their communities.
Governor Alia emphasized the critical need for citizen involvement in intelligence gathering, stating, “If you hear something, say something, it will enable the security agents to move out there and repel the invaders.”
He stressed the gravity of the situation, asserting, “We are under siege as a state, and those who are attacking us must have a face, must have an aim, and must have a drive. They come, they drag people out, they kill to occupy. This is extremely unacceptable.”
The Governor minced no words in describing the actions of the armed groups, highlighting their intent to forcefully take over land. He asserted that these attackers “have a face and a mission to occupy the land,” underscoring the severity of the threat faced by Benue communities.
In his address, Governor Alia also issued a stern warning to politicians allegedly seeking to exploit the precarious security situation for their own gain.
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“I invite you politicians to stay clear. Don’t be part of those who are attacking us,” he cautioned.
He further revealed that the state government is actively working to identify those complicit in the attacks, stating, “We have some machinery in place to dig deeper to let us know who is a culprit, who is involved in the destruction of our state.”
Governor Alia made it clear that criminality transcends ethnic and religious affiliations.
“A terrorist is a terrorist irrespective of his ethnicity or his religion. Criminality is criminality period! So whoever commits it is a terrorist and he should not be where the living are,” he declared, signaling a firm stance against all perpetrators of violence in the state.