Amid the ongoing violence in Benue State, Governor Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia has emphasized the need for substantial backing from the Federal Government, rather than the imposition of a state of emergency.
Speaking during an appearance on Arise Television’s “The Morning Show” on Wednesday, Governor Alia maintained that the insecurity plaguing the state is not beyond his control.
However, he stressed that federal assistance is crucial in effectively addressing the crisis.
The governor expressed confidence in his administration’s ability to end the attacks but insisted that more support is necessary to push out the armed herders who continue to terrorize Benue communities.
“What we need is emergency help for now. We need absolute support. The federal government is supported. They sent two armoured tanks that came in. Our situation had changed. We had a better narrative, but what we need to do is to get our people back home, to drive out the invaders, the armed invaders who have brought in people who do not even speak the Nigerian languages we speak. Let them move back to wherever they came from and allow us farmers to go back to our ancestral land. Calling for any emergency does not occur here,” he said.
Alia also rejected claims suggesting that the situation may be too difficult for his government to handle.
He pointed to a significant reduction in the number of Local Fovernment Areas affected by attacks, down from 17 to just six, as proof of his administration’s effectiveness.
“We couldn’t have trimmed it from 17 local governments in the front lines of the attacks to nine and then now to six, which means we have the capability to do this, but we need help. And that is a fact,” he added.
The governor further alleged that some of the perpetrators of the violence are foreigners, highlighting the need for strategic action to restore peace and enable displaced residents to return to their ancestral lands.
