AMID a surge in attacks that have claimed about 70 lives in Benue State in recent weeks, the state Governor Hyacinth Alia has rejected calls for a state of emergency in the state as part of measures to curb the menace.
Fielding questions from Arise TV’s ‘Morning Show’ hosts on Wednesday, April 23, the governor agreed that the state was under siege but maintained that declaring a state of emergency was not the solution.
The ICIR reported that nearly 70 bodies were recovered from bushes in the state as of Monday, April 21.
Alia had initially confirmed the discovery of 56 bodies on Sunday, April 20, after his visit to the affected areas in the state.
The ICIR reported that gunmen attacked Gbagir community, Ukum Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. The assault occurred on Thursday on the Sankera axis of the LGA and simultaneously on the neighbouring Logo LGA.
The renewed attacks in Sankera came barely 48 hours after suspected herders launched brutal attacks on three communities, Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju, in Otukpo LGA, southern Benue.
Speaking on the killings, Alia said the state was under siege and rapidly losing ground to armed herdsmen.
He said that rather than the Federal Government consider imposing a state of emergency because of the crisis, it should do more to support his government.
“We’ve reduced the number of conflict-ridden local governments from 17 to six. This is not a failure of leadership, it’s a call for reinforcements,” he said.
Alia outlined his government’s efforts to stop the killings, noting that since assuming office nearly two years ago, his administration had reduced the number of frontline conflict zones from 17 to six through a combination of tactical responses, including the deployment of 100 Hilux trucks, 600 motorbikes, and joint task forces such as Operation Zenda and Operation Ayem Akpatuma.
Despite these efforts, he stressed that the state resources were not enough. “We need more hands. We need help,” Alia stated, calling for additional federal military support, especially along volatile border areas with Nasarawa, Taraba, and Cameroon.
The governor also highlighted a perceived disconnect with federal security authorities. While the National Security Adviser recently claimed that no part of Nigeria was under non-state actors’ control, Alia countered him. “This is an empirical fact. People are being killed and displaced. These attackers don’t even speak Nigerian languages.”
The governor emphasised the need for a sustainable strategy to restore peace in the state and allow farmers to return to their ancestral lands.