Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has raised an impassioned alarm over what he describes as a brutal siege on the state by armed invaders whose sole objective is to kill and occupy ancestral lands. Declaring the situation as “extremely unacceptable,” the governor announced plans to convene a comprehensive Benue State Security Summit in response to the escalating bloodshed.
Speaking solemnly during an Easter Sunday address at the Chapel of Grace, Government House, Makurdi, Governor Alia painted a harrowing picture of a state under violent assault. He lamented that innocent lives are being mercilessly snatched away by heartless attackers, whom he insisted are not “faceless,” but driven by a calculated and sinister agenda.
> “We are under siege as a state. We are under attack,” Alia declared. “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.”
Amid renewed killings in Ukum and Logo Local Government Areas during Holy Week — attacks that reportedly claimed dozens of lives — the governor condemned what he termed an invasion by terrorists determined to overrun Benue lands.
He urged residents to embrace communal vigilance and assist law enforcement agencies in combating the growing threat.
> “If you hear something, say something,” he implored. “It will enable our security agents to respond swiftly and decisively to repel these invaders.”
Governor Alia’s comments also came with a warning to political actors not to exploit the crisis for selfish ends. Without mincing words, he said intelligence-gathering efforts were underway to identify internal collaborators sabotaging the state’s peace efforts.
> “I appeal to politicians: do not be part of those attacking us. Stay clear. We have machinery in place to unmask those involved in the destruction of our state,” he said firmly.
Denouncing the attackers as terrorists and criminals regardless of their ethnicity or religion, Alia asserted:
> “A terrorist is a terrorist. Criminality is criminality, period. Anyone who sheds innocent blood should not be allowed to live freely among us.”
In a message laced with both grief and hope, the governor called on the people of Benue to remain steadfast in prayer and resilient in spirit. He encouraged them to draw strength from the message of Easter — a season symbolizing resurrection, sacrifice, and hope amid despair.
> “Let us offer prayers, especially for the innocent souls gruesomely murdered in Ukum and Logo,” he said. “Christ’s death and resurrection remind us that pain and injustice never have the final word.”
The upcoming Benue Security Summit, he explained, will bring together top security officials, traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to chart a coordinated response to the unrelenting wave of violence that has turned farmlands into killing fields.
For years, Benue State — located in Nigeria’s volatile North Central region — has endured deadly confrontations between herders and farmers, fueled by land disputes and resource competition. The most recent atrocities have once again ignited widespread fear and anger, placing intense pressure on both the state and federal governments to act decisively.
As the people of Benue cry out for justice, security, and restoration, Governor Alia’s bold stance marks a pivotal moment — a rallying call for collective resistance against impunity and a determined effort to reclaim the soul of the state from those who seek to annihilate it.
PIONEER NEWS 