Former Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, has strongly criticized Governor, Hyacinth Alia, over what he describes as false claims regarding the security situation in the state.
Ortom, through his media aide, Terver Akase, accused Governor Alia of misleading the public by asserting that herdsmen attacks had ceased since he assumed office.
In a statement issued on February 10, 2025, Akase expressed shock and disappointment over a video clip in which Governor Alia, while addressing a congregation at NKST Church Ikpayongo in Gwer East Local Government Area, claimed that armed herders had stopped attacking and killing people in Benue State. Alia further alleged that Ortom had staged the 2021 assassination attempt on his own life and that under his administration, the state had experienced absolute peace, unlike during Ortom’s tenure.
Ortom’s camp swiftly refuted these claims, stating that Gwer East, the very location where Alia made the assertions, had suffered some of the worst attacks under his watch. According to Akase, numerous mass burials have taken place in different zones of the state due to continued herdsmen attacks, with communities such as Ukum, Logo, Katsina-Ala, Kwande, Gwer East, Gwer West, Guma, Makurdi, Agatu, and Otukpo still experiencing severe violence and destruction of property.
The statement highlighted that while Governor Ortom took a firm stand against armed herders and pushed for the enforcement of the anti-open grazing law, Governor Alia appears to be downplaying the severity of the security crisis. Ortom’s administration was credited with enacting policies aimed at protecting the people from external aggression, while Alia, according to Akase, has chosen to blame Benue indigenes for the crisis instead of addressing the issue head-on.
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Akase further emphasized that during Ortom’s tenure, Fulani socio-cultural groups openly took responsibility for several attacks in Benue State, including the attempted assassination of Ortom in March 2021. Security agencies, he noted, also confirmed the authenticity of these reports, reinforcing the credibility of Ortom’s stance on the crisis.
In his response, Ortom demanded that Governor Alia apologize to the people of Benue for his “insensitivity” in claiming that peace had been restored, despite the continued trauma and suffering of many communities. He accused the current administration of attempting to suppress media reports on the persistent killings in a bid to create a false narrative of stability.
Finally, Ortom urged Governor Alia to focus on delivering on his promises to the people rather than engaging in political theatrics. He reminded him that governance is temporary and that history will judge his tenure based on his actions rather than rhetoric.
The former Governor’s strong-worded response adds to the ongoing political tension in Benue State as debates over security and governance continue to dominate public discourse.
