APC Governor Told to Resign Amid Pressure: "Accept Responsibility"
- HURIWA called on Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia to resign over his administration's alleged repeated failure to protect lives in the state
- The demand followed a deadly attack on Ayilamo community in Logo LGA, where 11 people, including four mobile police officers, were killed
- HURIWA cited figures showing at least 6,896 people were killed in Benue between May 2023 and May 2025 across all 23 local government areas
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Makurdi, Benue state - The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has demanded the resignation of Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia.
As reported on Saturday, September 12, by Vanguard, HURIWA accused Alia, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), of failing to protect residents amid a relentless wave of killings across the state.
Source: Twitter
The group's national coordinator, Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, issued the call in a statement following a deadly attack on the Ayilamo community in Tombo Ward, Logo local government area (LGA).
Armed attackers invaded the community between the night of Thursday, September 10, and the early hours of Friday, September 11, killing 11 people, comprising seven civilians and four mobile police officers. The slain officers were identified as ASP Paul Ina and Inspectors Mohammed Yusuf, Oge Ikechukwu, and Edeh Andrew.
HURIWA said:
"Governor Alia cannot continue to govern as if the persistent bloodshed in Benue is a normal security challenge."
The association urged the governor to "accept responsibility for his administration's security failures and resign if he can no longer guarantee the protection of the people entrusted to his government."
Scale of violence in Benue
The rights group cited figures attributed to Amnesty International showing that at least 6,896 people were killed in Benue between May 29, 2023, and May 2025. All 23 local government areas in the state have suffered attacks, more than 200 villages have been sacked, and over 500,000 people have been displaced across Benue state.
HURIWA also recalled the June 2025 attack on Yelewata in Guma local government area, in which more than 100 people were reportedly killed and thousands forced to flee their homes.
The association noted that Catholic leaders and other stakeholders in Benue had already raised these concerns with United States lawmakers, and argued that such international attention should have pushed both the Federal and state governments to take stronger, more coordinated action.
Source: Facebook
HURIWA demands action over Benue killings
Beyond the governor, HURIWA directed demands at President Bola Tinubu, urging him to reinforce security operations in Benue and ensure better protection for communities that remain exposed to attack. The group also called on security agencies to investigate the Ayilamo killings thoroughly, arrest the perpetrators, and prosecute both them and their alleged sponsors.
HURIWA warned against what it described as attempts by political authorities to downplay the severity of attacks on rural communities, saying Nigeria must not normalise "terrorism, mass killings or the systematic displacement of rural communities."
The association stressed that Nigerians had every right to demand accountability from elected officials whose core duty was the protection of lives and property.
Read more Benue news
- Benue leads as new report shows Nigerian states with cheapest, costliest food prices for May
- Why I rejected NUJ award Alia accepted - Benue lawmaker
- “Nothing to contribute to Benue, shut up”: Gov Alia warns Ortom, other former governors
- Benue govt announces free skills-to-jobs programme, how to apply and link emerge
- Benue South killings: Idoma Association USA plans petition to Donald Trump, US Congress
FG addresses insecurity in Nigeria
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, called on citizens to push back against any narrative that frames the country's ongoing security crisis as a conflict rooted in religion.
Idris also highlighted recent security gains, citing the elimination of hundreds of terrorists and bandits, as well as the rescue of abducted citizens across different parts of the country, as evidence of the FG's resolve.
Source: Legit.ng
