The Governor of Benue State, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, has categorically stated that he does not support the idea of residents arming themselves with weapons in response to the ongoing violence in the state. His remarks were made during a televised interview with AIT on Monday, June 17.
Amid the rising wave of insecurity and recurrent attacks in various communities across Benue, there have been growing public calls for citizens to take up arms and defend themselves. However, Governor Alia warned against such measures, stressing that self-defence through civilian armament would only make residents more vulnerable to harm.
“I believe we would be exposing ourselves to even greater danger if we take that route,” he said. “I do not support calls for self-defence or residents arming themselves. Instead, I strongly advocate for the establishment of a functional and effective state police or community policing system. People who are part of the local communities—those who truly understand the terrain, the people, and the dynamics—are better positioned to provide effective security.”
When asked to describe the nature of the crisis in Benue State and whether the attacks amount to genocide or ethnic cleansing, Governor Alia responded with concern, noting that the scale and manner of the assaults seem to fit the general description of genocide.
“Genocide… I’m trying to understand the full parameters of that term, but what we’re experiencing in Benue matches that definition,” the governor explained. “We have multiple local government areas under simultaneous attacks. Whenever we manage to repel the attackers in one area, they shift and regroup in another, often inviting more reinforcements to continue their rampage.”
According to Governor Alia, the attackers do not discriminate in their violence. “They don’t care who is in their path—whether it is a farmer, a market woman, a child, an elderly person, or school children. Property is also destroyed indiscriminately. Everything in their path is crushed.”
Addressing claims of ethnic cleansing, the governor expressed uncertainty over the technical criteria used to define the term but acknowledged that the crisis has severely affected all major ethnic groups in the state, particularly the Tiv people.
“Benue is home to several ethnic groups, with the Tiv, Idoma, and Igede being the three major ones. At various times, all three have come under attack. However, the Tiv-speaking areas, which serve as the agricultural heartland of the state, are currently facing the brunt of these violent incursions. These are the regions that contribute significantly to Benue’s reputation as the ‘food basket of the nation.’”
He emphasized that these regions contain vast, unmanned expanses of land, which attackers exploit to launch their operations. “Whether or not we define this as ethnic cleansing, the reality is that these attackers target anything that poses a threat to them—starting with the most vulnerable.”
Governor Alia reiterated the need for strategic, long-term solutions rather than emotional or reactive measures. “Our focus should be on institutional solutions such as community-based policing, which prioritizes intelligence gathering and rapid response rooted in local knowledge,” he concluded.
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