Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has decried the ongoing deadly attacks in the state, describing them as a well-coordinated siege by terrorists and bandits, rather than mere clashes between herders and farmers.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, the governor said the pattern, frequency, and execution of the attacks suggest a deliberate and highly organized campaign of terror against communities across several local government areas.

“The way these attacks come and the intel we receive, it is a directed, calibrated plan and then executed,” Governor Alia stated.
“It is beyond just an ethnic fight between herders and farmers. It is directed, it is planned, and then it is executed. It is some terrorism.”

Governor Alia disclosed that intelligence received by security operatives has been 60 to 65 percent accurate, with attackers often striking at night and disappearing without trace.

“None of them is ever caught. They come in the thick of the night, hit, run, and nobody sees a trace. It is some terrorism that is eating us up,” he said.

In a damning revelation, the governor accused some active politicians currently serving in the National Assembly of being complicit in the violence. According to Alia, findings from a judicial panel of inquiry he set up have identified high-profile individuals who allegedly fund, harbor, and supply logistics to the attackers.

“It is very unsettling because some politicians who are very functional in the National Assembly and are in Abuja are the architects and arrowheads—not just instigating but harbouring and keeping these people in the bushes—taking care of all their bills and buying all the gadgets for them,” he revealed.

He confirmed that an interim report has already been submitted and the full report will be received between Tuesday and Wednesday of the coming week.

Governor Alia emphasized that strong and decisive action will be taken once the final report is available, vowing to prioritize the safety and security of Benue people over political interests.

“If they do not like the lives of the people and are fighting for their own political position, I think I am serving the interest of the common masses, and it is my right to protect them,” he said.