The Governor of Benue State, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has declared that the security situation in his State is no longer a matter of herder-farmer clashes, but a well coordinated wave of terrorists’ attacks.
Governor Alia, made his feelings known
when he featured on Channels Television programme; ‘Politics Today’ on Friday, June 6, 2025, against the backdrop of the growing concern over the deteriorating security situation in Benue and other parts of the Middle Belt region. Alia, who stated these
He expressed serious concerns over the “escalating” security crisis in his State, noting that Benue State known as the ‘food basket’ of the nation, has witnessed an upscale surge in violence in recent weeks, with many of the Local Government Areas facing deadly assaults that have claimed several innocent lives.
The Benue State Governor specifically noted that the pattern and precision of the attacks point to a larger, more organized and devastating threat.
Governor Alia said; “We are under siege. The way these attacks come and the intel we receive, it is a directed calibrated plan that are intentionally executed”.
He pointed out that based on the reliable intelligence gathered, it is clear that the State is under orchestrated terrorists’ assault.
According to Governor Alia; “On a daily basis, we are receiving the intel and of late, each of those intel we receive, 60 to 65 per cent are quite accurate.
“And then when you realise what is going on, it is beyond just conflict. It is beyond an ethnic fight between herders and farmers in our State. It is directed, planned and then executed. It is some terrorism,” he stressed.
The Benue Governor also explained that the nature of the violence has evolved into something far more insidious, stressing that the attackers are professional killers engaged in hit-and-run tactics reminiscent of guerrilla warfare.
“For some reason, none of them is ever caught. They come in in the thick of the night, hit, run and nobody sees a trace. So, it is some terrorism that is eating us up,” he observed.
