We need help, not State of Emergency – Gov Alia begs FG over killings

Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, has made it clear that what his state urgently needs is comprehensive federal support to tackle the persistent killings by armed herders, not a declaration of a state of emergency.

Speaking during an interview on “The Morning Show” an Arise TV program on Wednesday, Governor Alia maintained that while the insecurity situation remains dire, his government has made significant progress in containing the violence and can completely restore peace with the right federal assistance.

The governor explained that his administration has already managed to reduce the number of local government areas under attack from 17 to six, a sign he said proves their capacity to manage the crisis.

“We couldn’t have trimmed it from 17 local governments in the frontlines 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 stated.

Alia stressed that the situation in Benue requires emergency intervention in terms of equipment, logistics, and personnel support, not political declarations.

He revealed that the Federal Government had already sent in two armoured tanks, which had positively shifted the security situation, but emphasized that more needed to be done.

“What we need is emergency help for now. We need absolute support,” the governor said. “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 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.”

Governor Alia further insisted that most of the armed invaders terrorizing Benue communities are not Nigerians, calling for collaborative efforts to reclaim farmlands and communities, and resettle displaced residents.

He concluded by reaffirming his administration’s resolve to continue pushing back against the attacks and restoring lasting peace to Benue, provided the Federal Government intensifies its support in the ongoing fight.