Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has denied claims that any type of genocide is taking place in the state, stressing that while insecurity remains an issue, it should not be interpreted as the planned annihilation of any tribe.
Speaking at a public ceremony on Wednesday, the governor, a Catholic priest, emphasized that his dedication to truth stems from his calling and moral obligation.
He said, “I am a Reverend Father, so being in governance does not take that away from me. I am still a Reverend Father. I came in as a governor as a Reverend Father.
“I am working with the fear of God and the compassion of Christianity and humanity, and at the end of the day, I am still going back to the church as a Reverend Father and a Christian.”
Addressing the allegations directly, Alia stated that Benue State is not experiencing any sort of religious, ethnic, racial, national, or state genocide.
He added, “In my state of Benue, we do not have any religious, ethnic, racial, national, or state genocide. We don’t have that. Do we have a number of insecurities in the state? Yes, we do, but it is not a genocide.”
