"I’m Not Denying Insecurity in Benue", Gov. Alia Clarifies ‘No Genocide’ Comment
- Governor Hyacinth Alia said the killings in Benue are severe, but do not meet the legal definition of genocide
- The governor clarifies that his recent comment did not downplay victims’ suffering or deny the persistent attack in the state
- Alia insists that his administration is intensifying security collaboration and support for displaced communities
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Makurdi, Benue - Governor, Hyacinth Alia of Benue state, has clarified his stance on violent attacks in the state, saying his recent comments were not meant to downplay the scale of insecurity or the suffering of affected communities.
The governor came under intense public scrutiny after remarks he made on Wednesday, November 19, during a National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) policy consultation in Abuja.
Source: Twitter
At the event, Alia stated that the killings in the state do not fit the legal definition of genocide, explaining that the situation should not be framed as religious or ethnic extermination.
“In my State of Benue, we don’t have any religious, any ethnic, any racial, any national, or state genocide. We don’t have that. Do we have a number of insecurities in the State? Yes, we do, but it is not genocide,” he said.
However, in a statement issued Friday, November 21, by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dr Peter Oboh Egbodo, the governor noted that his comments were taken out of context and were not intended to deny the severity of attacks or diminish the suffering of residents.
According to Egbodo, Alia’s concern is to ensure that the crisis is not misdiagnosed, warning that wrongly labelling the conflict as genocide could hinder solution-driven policies and distort security assessments.
Gov. Alia says Benue conflict is multifaceted
The statement described the situation in Benue as a “multifaceted conflict," driven by criminality, land-use disputes, and sporadic targeted attacks,
He said the situation required coordinated intelligence-led interventions rather than religious profiling.
The government maintained that it continues to strengthen collaboration with security agencies, intensify support for displaced people, advocate for increased federal presence, and pursue long-term strategies to curb the violence.
“Governor Alia remains committed to protecting all affected communities, regardless of religion or ethnicity,” Egbodo added
Source: Twitter
He also urged the public to interpret the governor’s remarks within the context of his broader efforts to restore peace and address the root causes of the crisis.
Benue governor Alia denies genocide claims
Legit.ng earlier reported that Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue state has refuted claims of religious genocide in his state, insisting that while insecurity persists, it does not meet the international definition of genocide.
Mr Alia, who is a Catholic priest turned politician, said this during a consultative forum on the protection of the rights of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Forcibly Displaced Persons (FDPs) organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in Abuja.
The governor’s remarks come amid international scrutiny of Nigeria following the designation of the country as a “Country of Particular Concern” by the United States, with concerns over the alleged persecution of Christians.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
