Benue Killings: Gov. Alia Demands FG’s Swift Response, Rejects Emergency Rule

As Benue State it grapples with increasing violence and fatalities,
Gov. Hyacinth Alia has called on the Federal Government to offer real support to the state to secure it as a sub national.

Speaking on Arise Television’s programme, ‘The Morning Show,’ as reported by Persecondnews on Wednesday, Alia emphasized that the people of Benue need concrete assistance of the federal government and not a state of emergency.

He said his administration is capable of resolving the killings in the state but requires further support to effectively expel the invading herders and bring peace back to Benue’s communities.

The governor said: “What we need is emergency help for now. We need absolute support. The federal government is supportive. They sent two armoured tanks that came in. Our situation had changed.

“We had a better narrative, but what we need to do is to get our people back home, to drive out the invaders, the armed invaders who have brought in people who do not even speak the Nigerian languages we speak.

“Let them move back to wherever they came from and allow us farmers to go back to our ancestral land. Calling for any emergency does not occur here.”

The governor categorically dismissed suggestions that he is overwhelmed by the state’s security challenges.

According to him, his administration has successfully reduced the number of local government areas under attack from 17 to six.

He attributed the reduction in attacks to his government’s effectiveness, asserting that this progress demonstrates their capability to address the ongoing violence and wanton destruction of property caused by killer herders, some of whom he suspects are non-Nigerians.

“We could not have trimmed it from 17 local governments in the front lines of the attacks to nine and then now to six. Which means we have the capability to do this, but we need help and that is a fact.”

Persecondnews recalls that on April 17 and April 18, suspected armed herders had launched a series of attacks on communities within the Ukum and Logo Local Government Areas, resulting in the tragic deaths of at least 72 people.