We’re under siege, terrorism eating up Benue — gov Alia

The governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia has declared that Benue State is under siege from terrorists and bandits.

Alia said that the recent attacks that have claimed several lives are beyond herders-farmers clash.

While speaking on Channels Television on Friday, the distressed governor said that the attacks were well-planned and executed by terrorists.

“We are under siege,” Alia exclaimed on the programme when asked if he thinks the state is under terror attack.

He added, “The way these attacks come and the intel we receive, it is a directed calibrated plan and then executed. On a daily basis, we are receiving those intel. Of late, each of the intel we receive, 60 to 65 per cent of it is quite accurate.

“And then when you realise what is going on, it is beyond just conflict, it is beyond just an ethnic fight between herders and farmers in our state, it is directed, it is planned and then it is executed, it is some terrorism.”

He insisted that he no longer see the attacks as a clash between farmers and herders, adding that they now involved specialised killers—terrorists who engage in a form of guerrilla warfare.

“For some reason, none of them is ever caught, they come in in the thick of the night, hit, run and nobody sees a trace. So, it is some terrorism that is eating us up,” he remarked.

Speaking further during the interview, Alia accused some serving politicians in the National Assembly of sponsoring the attacks in Benue, saying that it was unacceptable.

Governor Alia who did not mention the names of the politicians, said that an interim report of a judicial panel he constituted, revealed many big names and vowed to take up the matter as soon as he receives the full report next week.

He added: “We set up a judicial panel to sort out for us why we kept having attacks from within and from without and we have received an interim report. Between Tuesday and Wednesday next week, I am going to get a full report from the panel.

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

“This is extremely unacceptable. 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.

“So, once we receive this report the coming week, we are going to take it up and take it seriously.”

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