Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has raised alarm over the escalating insecurity in the state, describing the ongoing violence as an organized campaign of terrorism rather than isolated clashes between herders and farmers.

Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, June 6, the governor declared that Benue is “under siege,” citing intelligence reports that indicate the attacks are coordinated and strategically executed.

“The way these attacks come, and the intel we receive, it’s clear this is a well-directed, calibrated plan. We get actionable intelligence daily, and 60 to 65 percent of it proves accurate,” Governor Alia stated.
“This is beyond ethnic conflict—it’s terrorism.”

Recent weeks have seen a surge in violent attacks across several local government areas in the North-Central state, leaving many residents dead and entire communities displaced.

Alia lamented that the attackers often operate with precision, striking at night and vanishing without a trace.

“For some reason, none of them is ever caught. They hit in the night, disappear, and leave no trail. It’s clear we’re dealing with trained terrorists,” he added.

Politicians Accused of Sponsoring Violence

In a startling revelation, Governor Alia accused unnamed serving politicians—some of whom are currently in the National Assembly of sponsoring and enabling the attackers.

According to the governor, a judicial panel set up to investigate the crisis has submitted an interim report, which indicts several high-profile individuals. The full report is expected next week.

“The interim report we received is very unsettling. Some influential politicians based in Abuja are not just instigating the violence—they are harboring and funding these attackers. They’re supplying logistics, weapons, and covering their expenses,” he alleged.
“This is totally unacceptable. If they do not value human lives and are only fighting for political gain, I must stand for the common people. It is my duty to protect them.”

Governor Alia vowed to take decisive action once the final report is submitted between Tuesday and Wednesday of the coming week.

“We will take this seriously. We cannot allow political interests to override the safety and lives of our people,” he concluded.