Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has dismissed claims that he ever denied the killings of his people by terrorists and bandits.
The governor insisted yesterday that his earlier statements were widely misinterpreted, particularly concerning the use of the term “genocide.”
Alia addressed journalists at Government House Makurdi following a closed-door meeting with Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka, emphasizing the need for global context when using such severe terminology.
“I never denied that my people were killed. I remain very firm that we have bandits and terrorists who come fully organized to destroy, maim and kill,” Alia stated.
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The governor explained that his earlier comments had been misinterpreted in two major ways.
He stated that any discussion about genocide must align with the United Nations’ definition and its historical context.
Alia cautioned that the term is often used loosely without a proper understanding of the criteria required for an event to qualify as genocide.
Alia clarified that his earlier remark about the attackers “executing their plans religiously” was idiomatic, meaning consistently and not a religious reference.
He emphasised that the crisis initially began as farmer–herder clashes before escalating into banditry and terrorism, noting that both Muslims and Christians had suffered losses.
“I have consistently—yes, religiously—stated that their aim is land grabbing. This did not begin as anything religious,” he emphasised, warning against politicising the tragedy or reducing the multi-sectoral crisis to a single religious narrative.
Alia urged journalists to use their platform as “weapons of societal construction” rather than amplifying misinterpretations, and confirmed that construction on several arterial road projects in Makurdi will commence next week.
However, Soyinka, who visited the state to assess development and follow up on educational materials he donated to displaced children, commended Alia’s developmental strides.
Soyinka recalled the state’s severe security challenges under the previous federal administration, noting that Benue had become a hub for terrorists. He openly criticized former President Buhari’s failure to halt the killings.
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Soyinka cautioned Nigerian leaders to be wary of accepting assistance from foreign countries whose interventions could potentially worsen the country’s existing security issues.
