Benue State Governor, Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, has raised an alarm over what he terms a full-scale attack on the state by increasingly organized and violent groups.
These groups, according to Alia, are not just herders but foreign-backed insurgents with the goal of territorial conquest.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Wednesday, Governor Alia described the present violence as a “new phase” in the long-standing conflict between farmers and herders in the state.
Alia explained that, unlike earlier assaults where herders would pass through remote communities with their cattle, the current attackers arrive without livestock, instead carrying AK-47 and AK-49 rifles.
“The appropriate captivating way to speak on what we are undergoing is that we are under siege. What we experience is the armed herders come in, before no, they could just come in with their herds and then to the isolated local governments and then do the attacks and then the people settle down,” Alia remarked.
He explained that these new assailants tend to operate in isolation, often dressed in plain clothes and staying in the bushes, awaiting the moment to strike. After executing their attacks, they disappear, only to return weeks later with reinforcements to take control of the areas they targeted.
“The attacks we have experienced are very deliberate and so calculated with the aim to come, kill and landgrab,” he added.
The governor further alleged that the attackers do not speak any local languages and appear to be from foreign origins, raising suspicions of mercenary or extremist involvement. “The nature of these attacks shows a clear intent to kill and seize land,” he asserted.
Alia also shared that the state government has made significant investments in security, acquiring 100 Hilux trucks and 600 motorbikes to strengthen various security agencies and a revitalized joint task force.
However, he acknowledged that the growing scale of the attacks has exceeded the capacity of their current security infrastructure.
“We urgently need help,” he pleaded. “We can’t access the farms, and our people are left with little option but to fend for themselves.”
Reflecting on his tenure, Alia revealed that when he assumed office a year and nine months ago, all 23 local government areas in the state were under attack. Although efforts had managed to reduce the violence to nine critical LGAs, six of these are once again at the forefront of the attacks. “The situation has regressed,” he noted.
Alia also criticized certain political figures whom he accused of using the crisis for their own political gain, pointing out their failure to visit affected areas while manipulating the narrative. “The reality is that our people are dying,” he lamented.
The governor called for enhanced intelligence operations to expose those aiding the attackers. “Once they bring this out, we are going to publish,” he warned.