MAKURDI, Nigeria – Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has described the ongoing attacks on communities in the state as part of a coordinated land-grabbing effort by armed groups.
The recent violence, which has claimed the lives of at least 11 people, occurred on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, when gunmen raided the Otobi-Akpa and Emichi communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA), as well as Utonkon in Ado LGA.
During a press briefing at the government house in Makurdi, Governor Alia linked the deadly attacks to efforts by armed groups to forcefully take over ancestral lands.
He explained that the assailants kill indiscriminately, regardless of ethnicity, causing residents to flee.
The attackers then return after a few weeks to fully occupy the abandoned lands.
“This is land grabbing,” Alia stated, emphasizing that the attackers are methodically displacing communities to gain control of valuable land.
The governor confirmed that at least 11 people have been killed in the recent assaults, with several others still missing.
He noted that security forces have been deployed to restore order in the affected areas, with local law enforcement working alongside state homeland security personnel.
Alia revealed that he had instructed his deputy, Sam Ode, to visit the impacted communities at dawn.
In addition, top security officials, including the police commissioner and homeland security personnel, were dispatched for an on-ground assessment of the situation.
He also mentioned that he had spoken with Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser, who assured him that the federal government would provide additional support to combat the rising insecurity in the state.
In his discussions with Ribadu, Alia underscored the severity of the situation, expressing concerns about the ease with which the assailants carry out their attacks without facing any consequences.
“When you come in there and kill so freely, no one is apprehended, and then you move out and strike again, there’s every need for all of us to stay on alert,” he said.
Ribadu assured him that the federal government would increase security efforts in the region, including providing necessary protective equipment.
The governor’s comments came amid continued unrest in Benue.
On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, David Mark, the former president of the Nigerian Senate, condemned the attacks, describing the killings as “one too many.”
Mark called on security agencies to intensify efforts to address the growing insecurity in the state, urging them to act swiftly to protect the residents.
Earlier this month, residents of Otukpo held a protest against the rising wave of kidnappings and killings in the area.
The protesters, mainly youths, occupied the Otukpo-Enugu federal highway to demand that the government take more proactive measures to curb the violence and restore safety to the region.
