Benue Killings: Ortom Blasts Alia Over Security Failures as Falana Demands Prosecution for Arrested Suspects
The escalating violence in Benue State has sparked a wave of criticism and urgent calls for justice, with former Governor Samuel Ortom accusing incumbent Governor Hyacinth Alia of political grandstanding and failing to implement effective security measures. At the same time, prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), condemned the authorities for their continued failure to prosecute suspected killers, despite several high-profile arrests.
Reacting to comments made by Alia’s media aide, Kula Tersoo, who blamed Ortom’s administration for the current insecurity and claimed over 4 million people were displaced under his watch, Ortom hit back forcefully. Through his media aide Terver Akase, Ortom clarified that the number of displaced persons currently in camps remains at 1.5 million—data that was handed over to Alia in 2023 and is still in use.
He accused Governor Alia of downplaying the killings by attributing them to communal clashes, shifting blame to foreigners, Fulani cow rustling, political enemies in Abuja, and even members of the clergy. Ortom argued that this lack of coherent narrative shows the governor is either out of touch with reality or deliberately misleading the public.
“People are being slaughtered like animals. Concealing the truth about casualty figures and the scale of displacement only delays justice and frustrates resolution efforts,” Ortom warned.
He further criticised Alia for not implementing the security roadmap laid out by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit to Benue, calling on him to empower the 23 local governments in the state to manage their own resources and security operations, especially in light of increased federal allocations following the removal of fuel subsidies.
Despite these developments, Falana noted that the justice system in Benue has remained silent, with no trials or convictions, effectively turning suspects into “sacred cows.”
He also took issue with the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who allegedly blamed locals in Yelwata for shielding attackers. Falana called this an attempt to blame victims instead of addressing the government’s failures.
Meanwhile, the Alago Ikweyi Gbayi Development Union (AIGDU) in Nasarawa State has urged President Tinubu to instruct the National Boundary Commission to demarcate the boundary between Benue and Nasarawa States, especially around the flashpoint of Yelwata. The group refuted claims by Tor Tiv, Prof James Ayatse, that Tiv people were being displaced in Nasarawa, arguing that Yelwata has historically been an Alago village.
They called for peace but insisted that ethnic misrepresentation should not fuel the ongoing conflict.
