Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has declared that the state is under siege, citing ongoing coordinated attacks by armed groups aiming to displace communities and take over ancestral lands.

Speaking after Mass at the Chapel of Grace, Government House, Makurdi, on Sunday, April 20, 2025, Governor Alia described the security situation as alarming and urged residents to stay vigilant and report suspicious activities to security agencies.

“If you hear something, say something,” the governor stressed. “It will enable security agents to respond swiftly and repel the invaders.”

He decried the rising wave of violence across the state, stating: “We are under siege as a state. We are under attack. And those who are attacking us must have a face, must have an aim, and must have a drive. They come, they drag people out, they kill to occupy. This is extremely unacceptable.”

Governor Alia did not hold back in condemning political actors who he claimed are leveraging the security crisis for personal gain. “I invite you politicians to steer clear. Don’t be part of those attacking us,” he warned. “We have some machinery in place to dig deeper, to let us know who is a culprit, who is involved in the destruction of our state.”

The governor asserted that Benue will not tolerate any form of criminality, regardless of ethnicity or religion. “A terrorist is a terrorist, irrespective of ethnicity or religion. Criminality is criminality,” he stated.

Despite the grim reality, Alia encouraged citizens not to lose hope and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to restoring peace.

He likened the state’s suffering to the sacrifice of Christ and called for prayers for the victims of recent attacks, especially those who lost their lives in Ukum and Logo during the Holy Week.