Benue is facing yet another wave of bloodshed, with Governor Hyacinth Alia revealing that armed herders launching deadly assaults on communities are exploiting porous routes from Nasarawa State, confirming suspicions that the killings may be retaliatory.
The violence, which has escalated in the past two weeks across Guma, Gwer West, and Makurdi LGAs, aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s assertion on Sunday, June 15, that the coordinated strikes in Benue appear to be reprisal attacks. Governor Alia, speaking on Channels Television, corroborated the President’s concerns, saying, “We wouldn’t entirely disagree.”
Alia disclosed that intelligence gathered from security operatives and vigilante networks confirmed the attackers are regrouping and launching offensives from hideouts within Nasarawa territory, taking advantage of familiar terrain and escape routes. “When you come to the Nasarawa axis, that is where we are having the challenges,” the governor said. “We’ve confirmed a number of them are hiding within Nasarawa.”
He said armed herders often retreat to Nasarawa whenever dislodged by security operations, only to resurface in other vulnerable Benue communities. “So, anytime they are driven out from one area, they simply shift to another,” he explained, underscoring the tactical agility of the assailants.
Security reports revealed that over 34 people have been killed in the past 10 days alone, with thousands displaced. Villages such as Yelewata, Tse-Akenawe, and Udei have been turned into ghost towns, while relief camps in Daudu and North Bank continue to swell beyond capacity. The humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly, with food shortages and access to medical care posing fresh threats to survivors.
Governor Alia confirmed he reached out to Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule, urging for real-time intelligence sharing and coordinated action. “He said the terrorists passed through his territory and even attacked a woman in Nasarawa. That tells you this isn’t isolated—it’s coordinated,” Alia stated.
Civil society organizations, led by the Benue Civil Assembly, are demanding a joint military operation across both states, with many calling for federal government intervention beyond condolences. “Enough of labels. Whether reprisal or unprovoked, our people are dying,” said Terhemba Ukende, a spokesperson for the group.
