Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, has blamed a wave of deadly attacks in the state on armed herders entering communities without cattle, accusing them of masquerading as pastoralists while pursuing a more violent agenda.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Monday, Alia described a disturbing shift in the nature of violence in Benue. He said the attacks were no longer mere clashes between farmers and herders, but now involved armed assailants—many of whom carry high-powered rifles such as AK-47s and AK-49s—who kill, displace locals, and leave affected communities open to occupation by new groups.
“This farming season, we are seeing a different phase of attacks,” the governor said. “These are not herders in the traditional sense. They don’t even come with cows. They arrive with guns, kill, destroy and a week later, a new set of people moves in to occupy the land.”
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The governor’s comments come in the wake of a massacre in Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area, where over 100 people were killed in coordinated assaults on June 14. By Sunday, the reported death toll had risen to 200, sparking widespread national outrage and renewed calls for action to stem the violence.
Alia suggested that the attackers are exploiting Benue’s porous borders, noting that many enter from neighbouring Nasarawa state and even from across the Cameroon border. He further alleged that some of the assailants are not Nigerians.
“Last year, people returned to their farms and harvested bountifully,” he said. “But this year, before the farming season could even begin in full, these attacks resumed. It is now clear that what started as a farmers-herders conflict has been hijacked by armed herdsmen, and now terrorists.”
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The governor implied that internal collaborators may also be enabling the attacks, stating: “A thief won’t just enter a house unless someone inside opens the door. What we are seeing in our communities is not random—it is systematic.”
Alia’s remarks add to growing concerns that the security crisis in Benue is increasingly driven by organised armed groups rather than traditional herding disputes. He called for greater federal intervention, tighter border control, and deeper investigations into those benefiting from the displacement of indigenous populations.
