As violent attacks continue to plague Benue communities, Governor Hyacinth Alia has made an emotional appeal to the Federal Government, urging it to send urgent support instead of declaring a state of emergency.
Speaking on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, Governor Alia said what his state needs right now is action, not panic. Despite the mounting toll from armed herdsmen attacks, he insisted that his government is far from overwhelmed.
“What we need is emergency help, not a state of emergency,” Alia said firmly. “We need absolute support. The federal government is already helping — they sent in two armored tanks, and that made a huge difference.”
The Catholic priest-turned-politician painted a grim picture of foreign-speaking invaders terrorizing rural communities and displacing thousands of farmers from their ancestral lands.
“These armed invaders don’t even speak our languages. They’re not from here,” he lamented. “We just want them to return to wherever they came from so our people can return to their farms and their homes.”
While concerns mount over the scope of the crisis, the governor emphasized that his administration is making progress. He revealed that the number of local government areas affected by attacks has been significantly reduced — from 17 to just 6 — thanks to ongoing efforts by security forces and local resistance.
“If we didn’t have the capacity to manage this, we wouldn’t have made such progress,” he said. “But we need more help. That’s the reality.”
Governor Alia’s passionate plea comes amid calls in some quarters for a state of emergency in Benue. But he argues that such a move would send the wrong signal — that the state is collapsing — when in fact, it is fighting back and making gains.
As the governor calls for more boots on the ground and humanitarian aid, displaced families in Benue continue to wait — hoping that help, not headlines, will come their way.
