Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has declared that the state is currently under siege by terrorists and criminal elements, describing the ongoing wave of violence as a coordinated act of terrorism rather than a herders-farmers conflict.
The governor cried out on a national television where he expressed deep concern over the surge in attacks that have affected several communities across the state in recent weeks.
“We are under siege,” Governor Alia said, adding that, “The way these attacks come and the intelligence we receive, it is a directed, calibrated plan and then executed. This is beyond just an ethnic fight between herders and farmers.”
Multiple local government areas in Benue State have experienced increased violence, with reports of killings, injuries, and displacement of residents in recent weeks, intensifying the humanitarian situation.
According to the governor, the attackers operate with a high level of coordination and precision, suggesting the involvement of trained militant groups.
“On a daily basis, we are receiving those intel. Of late, each of those intel we receive, 60 to 65 per cent of it is quite accurate,” he stated.
He further explained that the nature of the attacks no longer fits the pattern of communal clashes but points to a deeper, more dangerous threat.
“It is directed, it is planned and then it is executed. It is some terrorism,” Alia asserted.
Alia, a Catholic priest-turned-politician, lamented that the perpetrators often operate at night and vanish without trace.
“They come in the thick of the night, hit, run and nobody sees a trace. None of the killers is ever caught,” he said.
It was gathered that a fresh attack occurred on Friday evening along the Makurdi–Naka road, where several persons were feared dead and many others sustained injuries after suspected armed herdsmen reportedly opened fire on commuters.
Residents of the affected areas have been fleeing their homes, seeking refuge in safer locations, while security forces have continued to respond to multiple distress calls from rural communities.
The governor emphasised the need for a more robust and strategic security approach.
He called for federal support to combat what he described as a well-organised terror campaign targeting Benue’s rural population.
“We need support, and we need it fast. Our people cannot sleep with both eyes closed,” Alia stated, calling on the security agencies and federal government to intensify operations in the state.
The escalating security crisis in Benue continues to spark concern among citizens and civil society organisations, who have urged immediate action to halt the violence and protect vulnerable communities.