The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, on Monday, condemned and unequivocally rejected Governor Hyacinth Alia’s description of the ongoing killings, invasions and displacement of Benue communities as a mere “farmer–herder clash” during his remarks at the Security Summit organised by the Federal Ministry of Defence in Makurdi.
The party said, “The Governor’s statement is not only misleading but represents a dangerous distortion of a grim reality that has claimed thousands of lives, displaced entire communities and left large portions of Benue State under constant fear of attack.
“It is disappointing that a Governor whose primary constitutional responsibility is the protection of lives and property would choose to reduce a humanitarian and security catastrophe to a simplistic and inaccurate narrative.
“For years, Benue communities have come under sustained attacks by armed Fulani militias who invade villages, massacre innocent residents, burn homes, destroy farmlands and force survivors into camps for Internally Displaced Persons.
“These are established facts that have been documented by victims, community leaders, security reports, humanitarian agencies and the media.
“A clash implies two groups confronting each other on relatively equal terms. What Benue has witnessed is the repeated targeting of vulnerable rural communities by heavily armed attackers.
“To describe these atrocities as “farmer–herder clashes” is to create a false equivalence between murderers and their victims. It is an attempt by the governor to blur responsibility, sanitise criminality and rewrite the painful history of the bloodshed that has devastated our state.
“What was even more disturbing was Governor Alia’s apparent lack of urgency and outrage at the summit over the relentless attacks on innocent Benue people.
“While several of his counterparts from other states used the occasion to passionately express their concerns, strongly condemn the carnage being perpetrated against their people and advocate both immediate and long-term measures to address insecurity, Governor Alia appeared more preoccupied with advancing a misleading narrative of “farmer-herder clashes” than with forcefully drawing national attention to the suffering of Benue communities.
“At a time when Benue remains one of the worst-hit states by violent attacks, our people expected their Governor to speak with the passion, empathy and determination befitting the scale of the tragedy confronting the state”.
The PDP said it found it particularly disturbing that Governor Alia appears more comfortable adopting narratives that excuse or diminish these attacks than forcefully defending the people who elected him.
“At a time when Benue people expect strong advocacy and courageous leadership, the Governor’s remarks risk legitimising a misleading narrative that has for years frustrated efforts to confront the real nature of the crisis.”
It noted that Benue people have not forgotten the countless mass burials across the state accompanied by constant denials of the casualty toll by Government House Makurdi, adding that the people have not forgotten communities wiped out overnight, families displaced from ancestral lands and farmers prevented from accessing their farms.
“They have not forgotten the tears of widows, orphans and survivors whose lives have been permanently altered by these attacks. No amount of political convenience can erase these realities.”
The PDP therefore urged Governor Alia to stop echoing narratives that diminish the suffering of Benue people and instead use the full weight of his office to demand justice, security and accountability.
“We further call on the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to identify, arrest and prosecute all perpetrators of the attacks and their collaborators, stressing that Benue communities deserve protection, displaced persons deserve to return safely to their homes and victims deserve justice.”
