Benue Leaders Blame Each Other for Killings

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, and Michael Aondoakaa, who is the 2027 governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party, have been in a heated exchange over the recent killings in the state.

This back-and-forth started after 15 people were killed on Tuesday in Efeyi Ugboju, located in Otukpo Local Government Area.

On Wednesday, both the PDP and Aondoakaa criticized the governor for not providing good leadership and security for the people. In response, Alia accused the opposition of using the security problems for political advantage.

Bright Antyo, the PDP's Publicity Secretary, expressed disappointment over the governor’s lack of response to the ongoing killings in the state. He said, “Leadership is not by words but by decisive action, empathy and the ability to inspire confidence in times of crisis.” He added that the people of Benue are not seeing these qualities in their leadership.

Aondoakaa also attacked Alia’s government. He claimed that the administration was punishing critics to avoid taking responsibility for what he called its failure to handle insecurity. In a statement from his media aide, James Ian, he said it was shameful for a government “under whose watch communities are repeatedly invaded, farmers displaced and innocent people killed now considers criticism of its woeful performance a greater threat than the criminals unleashing terror across the state.”

He noted that despite the government's claims of addressing insecurity, attacks on Benue communities continue without pause.

In his response, Governor Alia accused the PDP and the African Democratic Congress governorship candidate of taking advantage of the security crisis for political gain. He called their actions irresponsible.

Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, said that the pain, loss, and trauma faced by families affected by the violence should be met with compassion and action, not political games. “At a moment like this, what our people expect and deserve is responsible leadership and constructive oversight,” the statement said.

Alia insisted that his government has been supporting security agencies with logistics, intelligence sharing, and collaboration with local vigilantes. He stated, “Confirmation by security chiefs abounds to the effect that Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration is consistently providing tangible support to security agencies through logistical assistance, intelligence collaboration, personnel motivation and coordination with local vigilantes to protect communities and restore peace.”