Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has urged residents of the state to resist taking up arms in self-defense.
Naijaonpoint reports that the governor stated this on Tuesday following the recent wave of brutal killings, insisting that community policing remains the best solution to the security crisis.
The governor made this known during an interview on AIT News, as reactions continue to trail the massacre of over 100 people across Guma and nearby local government areas by suspected armed herders.
While acknowledging the public anger and grief over the attacks, Governor Alia cautioned against emotionally driven calls for self-defense, warning that it could worsen the situation.
“I should carry, and I think that would make some very good common sense,” Alia said, referring to arming oneself.
“But where you have people who just decide to work up because of sentiments and emotions that are attached to what is happening with us and within us, I think we’re rendering ourselves a bit more vulnerable. So, I wouldn’t advocate for self-defense.”
Instead, the governor threw his weight behind the establishment of a stronger community policing structure.
He argued that local security architecture would better address the peculiar security dynamics in Benue.
“I would encourage us all to keep calling for community policing because it’s the only way,” Alia stated.
“It’s only people from within the state and the local government who would understand what is going on with them.”
He added that external security forces often lack the local knowledge and cultural context needed to anticipate or quickly respond to attacks in remote communities.
The governor’s comments come after a two-day coordinated attack left over 100 dead, with local leaders claiming the real death toll may be higher.
The renewed violence has led to calls for a state of emergency, as well as growing pressure from civil society groups and prominent political voices.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and several other figures have demanded urgent federal intervention, justice for the victims, and the deployment of more proactive security measures.