Gladness Gideon
Amid escalating violence in Benue State, Governor Hyacinth Alia has firmly dismissed calls for a state of emergency, insisting that what the state truly needs is urgent and sustained support from the Federal Government to combat the wave of deadly attacks by suspected armed herders.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, Governor Alia, a Catholic priest-turned-politician, made it clear that his administration is fully capable of addressing the insecurity challenge, provided it receives the necessary reinforcements.
“What we need is emergency help, not emergency rule,” the governor stated. “We need absolute support. The Federal Government has been supportive — two armoured tanks have been deployed. The narrative has changed. But to truly restore peace, we need help driving out the armed invaders and resettling our displaced people.”
According to the governor, the attackers include foreign elements who don’t even speak Nigerian languages and are occupying ancestral farmlands, making it impossible for farmers to return home.
Alia, who assumed office less than a year ago, also pushed back against narratives that the crisis has overwhelmed his administration. He noted that the number of local government areas affected by violence has dropped significantly since he took office.
“At the height of the attacks, 17 local governments were under siege. We’ve brought that number down to six. That’s a clear indicator of progress. We’re not helpless — but we do need support,” he said.
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He stressed that his government’s focus is on restoring the livelihoods of farming communities, which have suffered displacement and destruction due to the relentless attacks.
The governor’s remarks come at a time of heightened national debate over the security situation in Benue, a state long regarded as the food basket of the nation but now increasingly associated with bloodshed and displacement.
As pressure mounts for decisive federal intervention, Alia’s message is unambiguous: “Let the invaders return to wherever they came from and allow our people to return to their ancestral lands.”
With over 2 million internally displaced persons in Benue and growing concerns about food insecurity, the state’s future hinges on how quickly peace can be restored — and whether the support Alia is pleading for will materialize.