The All Progressives Congress (APC), Benue State Chapter, under the leadership of Austin Agada, has expressed deep sympathy to the resilient people of Benue State who, faced with unrelenting violence and government silence, took to the streets in peaceful protest, only to be met with state-sponsored brutality.
We are both heartbroken and outraged by credible reports that peaceful protesters in Wurukum and surrounding areas, gathered in mourning and solidarity following the recent massacre of over 200 innocent citizens, were shot at, injured, and violently dispersed, allegedly on the orders of the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia. This barbaric response to defenceless citizens exercising their constitutional rights is condemnable and represents a new low in the governance of our dear state.
The irony is tragic and telling: while our people are being slaughtered in their ancestral homes by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen, the very government they elected turns its guns on them. What further proof is needed that the Alia administration has not only failed in its primary duty to protect lives and property, but is now complicit in the suffering and silencing of its own citizens?
It has become painfully evident that the ongoing violence across Benue communities has been enabled by the Governor’s deliberate inaction, glaring disinterest, and absence of political will. Despite receiving substantial security votes, the Alia administration has failed to provide essential logistics to security agencies, refused to engage critical stakeholders, and ignored channels of intelligence-sharing that could help avert attacks.
Instead of offering leadership in a time of crisis, Governor Alia has built a record of denial, deflection, and defensiveness. He once boasted that no killings had occurred since he took office. At other times, he referred to coordinated massacres as “mere skirmishes.” Worse still, he has justified the presence of the armed aggressors under the cover of ECOWAS protocols, conveniently ignoring international treaties, including the Geneva Conventions, that impose a clear duty on state authorities to protect citizens from violence, displacement, and genocide.
This posture stands in stark contrast to past Benue leaders who, despite similar security constraints, stood firmly with their people. They resisted invaders with courage, backed both local and federal security efforts, and never turned their backs on communities in distress, let alone attack peaceful mourners. Governor Alia has tragically chosen the opposite path.
This most recent assault on peaceful protesters marks a dangerous descent into authoritarianism and represents a betrayal of the Benue spirit of democracy, resilience, and justice. We strongly condemn the intimidation, harassment, and violent suppression of peaceful demonstrators. We hold the Governor personally responsible for the worsening crisis and for his administration’s silence and complicity.
The APC in Benue State calls on the Federal Government, civil society organizations, human rights groups, and the international community to urgently intervene in the deteriorating situation in Benue. Our people cannot be left at the mercy of both external invaders and internal repression.
We demand:
An immediate release of all protesters arrested and an independent investigation into the shooting of protesters.
Justice for the victims and their families.
An end to the culture of impunity, neglect, and authoritarian suppression in Benue State.
Enough is enough. The time to stand with the people is now.
