Benue Governor Pushes for Community-Based Security to Tackle North-Central Crisis
- Governor Hyacinth Alia welcomed security chiefs, governors and community leaders to a regional summit in Makurdi to tackle rising insecurity
- Alia pushed for Benue to host the summit, citing the historic instability along the Benue–Plateau axis
- Organisers from the Ministry of Defence said the summit aims to localise security responses to banditry, kidnappings and farmer-herder clashes
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
Makurdi, Benue State - Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has called on all tiers of government and community structures across Nigeria to adopt coordinated approaches to tackling insecurity.
Alia warned that military deployments alone cannot deliver lasting peace.
Source: UGC
Alia made the remarks on Thursday at the New Banquet Hall, Government House, Makurdi, while delivering a welcome address at the North-Central Regional Security Summit.
Governors, security chiefs, traditional rulers and other stakeholders from across the North Central zone gathered in Makurdi for the one-day meeting.
This was contained in a statement issued and made available to Legit.ng by Sir Tersoo Kula is the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Alia.
The governor said he personally sought to host the summit in Benue because of the persistent violence along the Benue-Plateau axis.
Alia argued the state sits at the centre of one of the region's most troubled security corridors.
Grassroots intelligence must drive solutions.
Alia stressed that durable solutions require engaging traditional rulers, border communities and local networks that often detect threats before security agencies do.
"The moment we set aside our differences to confront the enemy of insecurity, half the battle is already won."
The governor added that collaboration must translate into practical action that reaches the custodians of the land.
He also called attention to the socio-economic roots of crime, arguing that poverty and idleness continue to fuel recruitment into criminal networks.
The governor said any effective response must address these underlying conditions alongside improved intelligence-sharing and community engagement.
Framing the North Central zone's stability as a matter of national concern, Alia pointed to the region's role as a key source of food and mineral resources.
"When the North Central is insecure, it is not only our problem; the whole country feels it on its dining table," he said.
Summit organised by ministry of defence
The summit was convened by the Ministry of Defence in partnership with the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement.
The Organisers described it as a deliberate effort to localise security responses to banditry, farmer-herder clashes, kidnappings, violent extremist spillovers and organised crime across the zone.
Governor Alia urged delegates to move beyond speeches and ensure the summit produces institutional outcomes that can survive changes in administration.
He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's commitment to tackling insecurity and called on all participants to align with the summit's operational recommendations.
Source: Original
Troops kill bandit, arrest kidnappers in Benue
Recall that troops of Operation Whirl Stroke conducted separate operations across Benue State on August 19, 2026.
A suspected bandit known as 'Cool Nigg@' was killed during a firefight along the Jortar–Atume axis in Ukum LGA.
Two suspects arrested in Logo LGA reportedly confessed to a planned kidnapping, and troops recovered a pistol, phones, and charms.
Herdsmen kill 15 in fresh Benue attacks
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that armed invaders struck two communities in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, leaving at least 15 people dead.
The Efeyi-Ugboju attack lasted over four hours from 5am on Tuesday, with locals saying the death toll could still rise.
Otukpo LGA Chairman Maxwell Ogiri confirmed 14 bodies recovered and called on the government to enforce the anti-open grazing law.
Source: Legit.ng
