Benue Governor Alia says Tinubu has fully supported efforts to repel armed herders despite nationwide outrage over deadly attacks and rising insecurity in the state
Governor Hyacinth Alia has defended President Bola Tinubu against criticism that the Federal Government has abandoned Benue State amid a prolonged spate of violent attacks by suspected herdsmen.
Also read: Benue caucus denies Alia claims, demands apology, police probe
Speaking on The Morning Brief on Channels Television, the governor insisted that Tinubu has been “fully supportive” of the state’s efforts to repel what he called “blood-thirsty marauders.”
“If he didn’t have an understanding of what is going on, he won’t be giving us full support,” Alia said, adding that 17 local government areas had been under siege, but the number has dropped to three due to federal intervention.
He credited the decline in occupied areas to the deployment of three security units by the Federal Government after one of the recent waves of attacks.
Benue, a major food-producing state in Nigeria’s North-Central region, has been the epicentre of brutal killings widely blamed on armed herders.
On June 15, at least 59 people were massacred in a night raid on the Yelewata community, including military and civil defence personnel.
The killing spree has continued relentlessly through April and May, claiming over 100 lives in multiple local government areas.
If he didn’t have an understanding of what is going on, he won’t be giving us full support.
Pope Leo XIV joined a chorus of global condemnation, describing the June massacre as an act of “extreme cruelty.” Political leaders Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have also accused the Tinubu administration of failing to protect Nigerian citizens.
Despite the criticism, Alia stressed that the Federal Government has played a major role in the fightback, citing a June 3 site visit by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Olufemi Oluyede.
The governor noted that while the attacks originally stemmed from farmer-herder conflicts, they have now taken on a more sinister dimension, involving heavily armed assailants with no cattle in sight.
“These are not just herders. They come with AK-47s and AK-49s. They attack, kill and return later to occupy the lands,” he said, hinting at possible collusion between local residents and external militia groups.
Alia also raised concerns about Nigeria’s porous borders, pointing out that Benue shares frontiers with Cameroon, Nasarawa and Taraba. According to him, many of the attackers do not even speak Nigerian dialects and often cross into Benue from neighbouring states.
He disclosed that Nasarawa Governor Abdullahi Sule had received intelligence that the terrorists were entering his state from Benue. However, Alia maintained that the worst of the attacks were clearly felt on Benue soil.
Also read: Benue governor alleges Abuja politicians instigating violence, harbouring perpetrators
As the state mourns its dead and communities remain on edge, the debate continues over whether federal responses have been adequate—or simply too late.
