Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has accused some serving National Assembly members of fueling the deadly violence sweeping through the state. He claimed these politicians not only fund the attackers but also protect and equip them.
During a live interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Alia described the violence as well-planned and politically motivated. He stressed that intelligence reports point to deliberate, coordinated attacks—not random farmer-herder clashes.
> “We are under siege,” Alia declared. “These assaults follow a clear plan. Our intelligence shows 60 to 65 percent accuracy in predicting them.”
Benue and other North Central states have faced a fresh wave of bloodshed in recent weeks. Many observers blamed the crisis on long-standing tensions between farmers and herders. However, Governor Alia dismissed that explanation.
“These are not random clashes,” he said. “The attackers strike at night with military precision, kill, and disappear. Nobody arrests them. That’s not a communal dispute, it’s terrorism.”
He explained that the attackers use guerrilla tactics and operate with advanced support. According to him, some politicians hide these fighters in the forests, feed them, fund them, and arm them.
“They receive everything they need, money, weapons, even tech support, from powerful backers in Abuja,” Alia alleged. “That’s the truth.”
Judicial Panel Uncovers Links to Abuja Politicians
To uncover the truth, Governor Alia set up a judicial panel. He said the panel already submitted an interim report that links several high-profile individuals to the violence. He expects the full report this coming week.
“I’ll get the final report between Tuesday and Wednesday,” Alia said. “But what we’ve seen so far is deeply disturbing. Some serving lawmakers actively support these attackers.”
Rather than wait passively, Alia promised to act once the final report lands on his desk.
“If these politicians care only about their ambitions and not human lives, I will challenge them,” he said firmly. “The people elected me to protect them. That’s what I intend to do.”
He reaffirmed his duty to defend Benue people and warned that political violence would not go unanswered under his watch.
