Different Sides Of Benue’s Undeclared War

…Gov. Alia In Eye Of The Storm Over Security Report
…Victims Recall Tragic Tales As Humanitarian Crisis Looms

MAKURDI – The Benue State govern­ment, the opposition and other stakeholders in the state have recent­ly been locked in banters over the state of security in the state.

While the Benue State gov­ernment insists that the securi­ty situation in the state has im­proved, the opposition and other stakeholders have debunked the claim, citing clear evidence of bloodbath recorded in recent times.

The recent killings by herds­men in Kwande Local Govern­ment Area (LGA) and Okpoma­ju community of Otukpo LGA of the state, where it was alleged that security chiefs working un­der Governor Hyacinth Alia, had intelligence hints about 24 hours before the attack, has served to heighten the tension in the state.

Members of affected com­munities, including political leaders of some of the affected communities, have come up with instances of attacks and figures of death recorded with­in the period.

On the other hand, some gov­ernments officials in the state have kept mum over the attacks while others have gone on the blame game.

Gov. Alia’s Security Report

At the centre of the banter is the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hy­acinth Alia, who has received the bashing of his life for a statement he made recently at a thanksgiving service in Ikpayon­go, Gwer-East LGA of the state, where he said that peace had returned to Benue.

The series of attacks and killings on Benue communities has prompted the member rep­resenting Kwande/Ushongo at the House of Representatives (HoR), Terseer Ugbor, to chal­lenge the state government over its claims.

Also, the member repre­senting Otukpo/Akpa State constituency at the Benue State House of Assembly (BNHA), Kennedy Angbo, has called for the sack of the Director Gen­eral (DG), Homeland Security, Jacob Gbamwuan, the Special Adviser to the governor on Security, Chief Joseph Har, as well as other security chiefs, for their failure to live up to expec­tations.

Others that have taken a swipe on the state government over the issue include the Peo­ples Democratic Party (PDP), the Coalition of Sankera Elites (CSE), and other tribal groups, just as the immediate past gov­ernor of the state, Chief Samu­el Ortom, has advised Governor Alia, to apologize to the Benue people over the remarks.

The statement by the Benue government over the security situation also drew the ire of a cross section of the Benue peo­ple who insist that the security situation in the state is as bad as ever.

Speaking with Sunday Inde­pendent, member representing Otukpo/Akpa state constit­uency, Kennedy Angbo, said: “What happened (the attack on Okpomaju) was first avoidable, preventable and is unacceptable; avoidable, preventable in the sense that we had intel on time.

He said: “We had a window of 24 hours or more that should the security agencies have moved into action this would not have happened or, at least, if atten­tion was drawn to this partic­ular area, it may have moved to another area and probably wouldn’t have happened.

“Information gathering and information sharing is another big problem for us. When we got the information it was passed up to those who are in charge of the security of the state.

“You can tell them that Hon­ourable Angbo said he got the information, he gave the infor­mation to the right quarters.

“What did you do with the in­formation? Did you respond as at when due? And if you didn’t, why did you not respond? Then you should question them and take action; particularly sacking people who are incompetent

“Now, if I were not part of it, I may not have complained but I know that I passed the informa­tion I got to the right quarters, but they didn’t do anything about it as at when they should have.

“So the problem is we keep seeing the escalation and re­peated attacks and the problem is that we are always reactionary, which means we don’t act until the strike has taken place.

“Whether it is deliberate, ineptitude or lack of under­standing; whether the people are complicit overwhelmed or both, it tells you that there is a problem on how we are manag­ing security in the state

“If I give a piece of infor­mation that X, Y will happen because on Monday (before the attack) they (locals) went to the farm and they were shot, at least two people were shot, among them was a personnel.

“And we had that information that they said the next day they were coming to that community and we gave this information to the people in charge and nothing was done despite promises that they were going to send security men there.

“So, why are we not holding them accountable? And I think this is the reason why the Gover­nor must demonstrate that he is in charge of the security in the state; that Honourable Angbo said that he got the information and gave the information to the right quarters but not much was done and I’m saying this with anger because I think certain heads should roll.

“What did they do with the information? Did you (agencies in charge) respond as and when due? And if you didn’t, why did you not respond? They should question them and take action particularly sacking people who are incompetent.

“And when we got to the scene of ground zero we were shown where one of them was killed. It was more than one ki­lometer from his community, meaning that the people (herds­men) chased him for more than one kilometer, without any re­sponse.

“This attack lasted for more than an hour. The police was informed on time and I person­ally called the police. I called Homeland, I called the Security Adviser and I gave them all the information but nothing was done to avert it.

“It is painful that people are collecting salaries for a job and they don’t do the job and if you go to Ukum, it is the same story, if you go to Kwande, Gwer-East, it is the same story.

“We cannot allow that to happen. People should be held accountable for their responsi­bilities.”

Passing The Buck

Responding to Angbo’s alle­gations, the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Internal Security, Chief Joseph Har, said he had played his part, given the circumstance, while the DG, Homeland Security, Gen­eral Jacob Gbamwuan, insisted we seek clarification from other sources.

On his part Har said: “I want to be very clear on this. I am not an enforcement agent. I am the Security Adviser to the Gov­ernor of Benue state; I am not a Commander of the Army in Makurdi.

“I don’t command the Air Force in Makurdi; I am not the police commissioner. I am the Se­curity Adviser to His Excellency.

“When the Honourable mem­ber called me that he was on his way to Otukpo because of the crisis in Otukpo I asked him straightway if he has the con­tacts of General Gbamwuan (DG, Homeland Security)?

“He said yes, so I told him to get in touch with him, he is the one in charge of Homeland Se­curity.

“When did he (Angbo) give me intel about Otukpo? He should keep me out of their politics. Security does not have anything to do with politics, be it APC, PDP, be it Abuja, Makurdi or whatever, it has nothing to do with security.

“If they are having their po­litical fights, they should keep me out of it. I came to support in providing security and secu­rity does not have anything to do with politics. I am doing my best to ensure that Benue state is secured I don’t have time for their infighting.

“But if you want anything further about those crisis, ask General Gbamwuan,” he said.

However, when Sunday Inde­pendent called General Gbam­wuan to get his side of the story, he flared up, insisting he would not talk.

He said: “If you want to do your journalism you can go to other places, you must not come to me for your journalism, you can go to those specific places,” he retorted.

Also commenting on the security situation in Apa and Agatu LGA, Morgan Adikwu, said the reconciliation initia­tive between Fulani herdsmen and Apa/Agatu communities, “championed by Agatu LGA Chairman James Melvin Ejeh, under Governor Hyacinth Alia’s directive, has failed.”

He also argued that one of the reasons was that the Anti-Open Grazing Law, that was once a shield for Benue communities, has been discarded.

However, when Sunday In­dependent sought the view of the chairman of Agatu, James Ejeh, on the matter, he denied the claim.

According to Ejeh, “The peace process in Agatu has not failed. The Agatu people are living in peace. Against all odds, this is what they (political opponents) didn’t see coming.

“Some of them want to do anything possible to discredit the Alia government. But the good thing is that Agatu is peace­ful and there is nothing they can do about it.

“I am in Agatu, as I speak to you now (Friday), and there is no single incident of threat any­where in Agatu LGA; people are going about their normal busi­nesses. I just left a peace meet­ing and for the first time in four months, there is no record of one gunshot in Agatu by herders.

“So, discountenance what they are saying because it’s the politics of 2027”, Ejeh insisted.

While Sunday Independent was able to speak to Ejeh, the Apa chairman, Engr Sunday Oche, who promised to return our calls failed to keep to his promise.

Opposition’s Views

However, in a statement, signed by Tim Nyor, the State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, the party decried the statements made by both the State Governor and the DG, Homeland Securi­ty, General Gbamwuan, adding that it was a “misrepresentation” of the security situation affect­ing the state.

The PDP spokesman said: “Their assertion that “Benue is safe” is not only misleading but also deeply disrespectful to the countless families suffer­ing from the tragic loss of lives due to the escalating attacks by herdsmen.

“Their denial of this esca­lating crisis undermines the severity of the situation and ex­acerbates the suffering of Benue people, who live in constant fear for their safety and property.

“Such statements raise se­rious concerns about the moti­vations behind them. Are they an attempt to obscure the gov­ernment’s failure to protect its citizens, or are they a diversion from the urgent need for effec­tive measures to ensure the safe­ty of our communities?

“We urge the governor to con­front the reality of the security crisis rather than downplay it for political gain. Denial is not a strategy; it is a disservice to the people of Benue, who de­serve protection, support, and transparency from their gov­ernment,” he stated.

Subsequently, we visited the Benue State University Teach­ing Hospital (BSUTH), where we gathered that out of the five wounded victims that were brought to the hospital one had died.

The management of the hospital was however confident that the remaining four would make it.

Permanent Secretary, Min­istry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Sir James Ior­puu, paid a visit to find out how the victims were faring.

He also said that while gov­ernment had visited the at­tacked communities, it was also taking care of the treatment and feeding of victims of the attack that have been hospitalized.

Iorpuu said: “On the direc­tive of the Governor we visited the two communities that were attacked by the herdsmen in Kwande LGA and while we were carrying out the assessment of the situation in Kwande, we learnt that some of the victims were rushed to the BSUTH.

“Actually, we have seen that four of the victims have been hospitalized here. But actually five were brought in on Tuesday, we lost one of them and four of them are still here.

“And as you may be aware, SEMA has an agreement with the Teaching hospital, through a memorandum of understand­ing to provide free treatment to all displaced persons brought to BSUTH and that’s what’s hap­pening here.”

The Chief Medical Director, BSUTH, Dr Stephen Hwande, who took the SEMA boss round to see the victims, said: “The first thing is to commend the state government through SEMA.

“Even last year SEMA came when MSF (Medicines San Frontiers) who used to take care of the patients and the displaced at the IDP camps and SEMA came on board soon as they (MSF) left.

“We had this agreement that all displaced persons and refu­gees brought to the hospital were treated free of charge, including their feeding.”

Speaking with Sunday In­dependent, Ter Kwande, Chief Timothy Ahire, who was rep­resented by Mue Ter Chongo, Chief Hyacinth Baver, called on the state and federal govern­ments to work towards putting a permanent end to the attacks by herdsmen on Benue commu­nities.