By Deborah Mdima Adekaa
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has criticised Governor Hyacinth Alia over his description of the security crisis in the state as “farmer-herder clashes,” arguing that the characterisation fails to reflect the scale and nature of attacks on communities.
The opposition party made its position known in a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Bright Yima Antyo, on Monday, following the governor’s remarks at a security summit organised by the Federal Ministry of Defence in Makurdi.
The PDP said describing the violence as farmer-herder clashes was misleading, insisting that Benue communities had suffered repeated attacks, killings, destruction of property and displacement.
According to the party, the violence has resulted in the loss of lives, destruction of farmlands and the displacement of residents into internally displaced persons’ camps.
The PDP argued that the term “clash” suggested a confrontation between two groups, whereas, in its view, many of the incidents in Benue involved armed attacks on vulnerable rural communities.
It accused the governor of adopting a narrative that could create a false equivalence between victims and perpetrators and urged him to use his office to draw greater attention to the security challenges confronting the state.
The party also expressed disappointment with what it described as the governor’s perceived lack of urgency and outrage during the security summit, saying residents expected stronger advocacy for the protection of lives and property.
“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’,” the statement said.
The PDP further recalled the mass killings and displacement experienced by communities across the state, saying families had been forced to abandon their ancestral homes and farmers had faced difficulties accessing their farmlands.
It urged Governor Alia to focus on demanding justice, accountability and improved security for affected communities rather than using language it said could diminish the suffering of victims.
The opposition party also called on the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to identify, arrest and prosecute those responsible for attacks and anyone found to be collaborating with them.
It said displaced residents should be enabled to return safely to their communities, while victims of the violence should have access to justice.
The PDP maintained that it would continue to challenge what it described as attempts to misrepresent the security situation in Benue, insisting that the state’s residents deserved “honesty, courage and leadership” from those in positions of authority.