Residents of communities in Benue State have voiced deep anguish and frustration over the ongoing violent attacks on them by armed Fulani herders, lamenting that the state government led by Governor Hyacinth Alia has failed to protect its people.
Attacks by armed Fulani herders have intensified in Benue State since Governor Alia assumed office in 2023 and began his “integration and coexistence” policy in favour of Fulanis, a development that saw the return of herders to the state in droves with thousands of cattle.
Eye-witness accounts from most local governments of Benue State indicate that Fulani herdsmen have taken over many parts of the state and are in firm control. The pastoralists decide who goes where. The Fulani have appointed some of their members as leaders of the occupied communities. The indigenous villagers have to pay the armed herders money to allow them to go to their farms, and the villagers are under an unwritten oath never to complain if their farms are destroyed by Fulani cattle.
Reports say whenever someone dies, the Fulani demand payment before allowing the bereaved family to bury their dead. That is the dreadful situation currently in Benue State under Governor Alia.
Yesterday, aged women of Kwande local government took to the streets in Jato-Aka, to stage a peaceful protest and express their anger over the persistent killings of innocent people in the area by Fulani herdsmen. The protesters who are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), debunked false claim of peace in the State by Governor Alia, saying there is no peace in Kwande.
Writing this morning from Katsina-Ala town, a resident of the area, Felix Girgir, expressed his despair in a heartfelt statement following a devastating assault that left several dead and many injured.
Girgir lamented the loss of lives and property, describing the situation as part of a troubling pattern of insecurity that has plagued the region. He criticized the administration of Governor Alia, who took office on May 29, 2023, for not fulfilling its core responsibility of safeguarding the lives and properties of its people.
“Are we just pawns in their game of politics?” Girgir asked, highlighting a growing sentiment among residents that the governor’s promises of protection have become hollow. He pointed out that while local leaders boast of relative peace, the reality on the ground tells a different story.
Gbagir criticized the state government’s focus on paying salaries and pensions, arguing that such measures do not address the immediate needs of families who have fled their homes due to violence. “Will that feed our entire family members who have fled from these Fulani attacks? Will that provide security for us? The answer is a resounding NO,” he stated emphatically.
As the community mourns the recent losses, Girgir concluded with a plea for justice and immediate action, asking, “Will they continue to play politics with our lives and properties?”
Another Benue indigene, Collins Uzer who wrote earlier expressed regret for voting Governor Alia into office. Uzer said the governor is apparently working for the interest of Fulanis and not Benue people.
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“We were told that this man is a priest who is meal and humane so he would lead with the fear of God. Little did we realize that we were enthroning a vicious monster who lacks human empathy and only cares about himself.
“Today, I regret joining others to campaign for the election of a man who has no human feelings and is a sadist; a man who is not bothered that Benue people are being killed by Fulani herdsmen in many local governments; a man who is hiding the truth about the killings and defending Fulani herders while blaming his people of killing themselves.
“Each time I listen to Governor Alia denying that attacks are happening in Benue State, I feel a sense of deep sadness and despair. Almost every day, dead bodies are found after attacks”, Uzer concluded.
It is now obvious that y he people of Benue blindly bought Alia without knowing what they were going into. Today, less than two years into the Alia governorship, there are regrets and cries all over the state. The real colour of Alia come out!
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Critics have submitted that governor Alia has been found out! The lies he told the people during the campaigns have expired. Remember that the issue of security was a major campaign topic. Alia promised to return the internally displaced people back to their homelands within his first 100 days in office. Today, he is busy building more IDP camps to move the people into the camps create more space for Fulani to graze.
