The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has criticised the governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, accusing him of denying the scale and nature of ongoing violence in the state and “dancing on the graves of victims of genocide.”

In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Luka Binniyat, the socio-political organisation expressed shock at the governor’s recent comments dismissing claims of religiously targeted killings in Benue.

The MBF said the governor’s remarks contradicted a viral video from 20 April 2025 in which he himself described attacks on Benue communities as “well targeted, well planned and religiously executed by terrorists.”

According to the Forum, the governor’s new position constitutes “an insult and an affront to the thousands of innocent Benue citizens killed” and risks inflaming tensions among bereaved communities.

MBF accused Gov. Alia of downplaying grave crimes by referring to recurrent attacks as “clashes,” arguing that such language “sanitizes brutality” and creates a false impression of parity between armed assailants and attacked villages.

Citing the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, the Forum said patterns of killings, destruction of villages, and mass displacement in predominantly Christian farming communities in Benue correspond to elements outlined in the treaty.

It alleged that Fulani Ethnic Militia (FEM) fighters are responsible for systematic attacks on residents, although these claims remain contested and have not been independently verified.

The MBF also suggested that the governor’s stance could undermine international scrutiny, particularly as the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa recently held a hearing related to Nigeria’s designation as a “Country of Particular Concern” over religious-related violence.

The Forum referred to figures previously released by Benue State emergency officials indicating that 5,138 people were killed in attacks between 2015 and March 2023, with additional fatalities recorded since then.

It also pointed to reports from human-rights organisations and UN agencies documenting repeated mass-casualty attacks in 2024 and 2025, as well as large-scale displacement affecting more than half a million people from Benue.

“The whole communities have been uprooted; livelihoods destroyed; schools and clinics emptied,” the statement said.

“To deny the reality behind these statistics is to deny the visible suffering of mothers, fathers and children living in camps.” The statement added.

The MBF urged Governor Alia to support independent investigations into whether crimes committed in the state meet international legal thresholds, ensure full humanitarian access, and adopt clearer language in describing the violence.

“Faith is not a cloak for denial,” the MBF said, insisting that the governor’s priesthood should not shield him from political responsibility.