Benue State governor, Hyacinth Alia, and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, on Tuesday, expressed divergent views on the security situation in the state.

Governor Alia described the state as being under relentless siege, citing repeated, calculated attacks by terrorists, bandits, and armed militias.

He said these persistent assaults have not only devastated local economies, but also displaced thousands of residents.

However, the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, acknowledged the existence of security threats in the area but maintained that no part of Nigeria is under the control of non-state actors.

This comes amid a surge in violence across the Sankera axis of Benue State?which includes Ukum, Katsina-Ala, and Logo local government areas?where a series of coordinated attacks has led to widespread loss of life and destruction of property.

Death toll rises to 83 in 5 days

At least 11 people were killed on Tuesday in a fresh attack by armed invaders on the Afia community in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.

This brings the total number of deaths in the past five days to 83, following coordinated attacks by gunmen on communities in Benue?s Sankera axis comprising Ukum, Katsina-Ala and Logo LGAs.

As of Monday, April 21, the death toll from multiple attacks had reached 72. The violence, which began on Thursday, April 17, escalated daily with more bodies recovered across affected areas.

The traditional head of Ukum, Chief Orkaa Kaave (Ter Ukum), disclosed the latest attack while addressing the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu on Tuesday.

Ribadu visited on the directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to commiserate with the governor and people of Benue State over the bloodshed.

?Today (Tuesday), in the Afia community?home of Senator Emmanuel Udende?the killings continue. So far, we have recovered 11 bodies, but they?re still combing the bushes. This is a fresh attack, happening right now,? Chief Kaave said.

Speaking on Tuesday on Channels Television?s Politics Today, the Benue governor described the deteriorating security situation in the state as a sobering and deeply painful moment, lamenting that Benue has been under a sustained siege with ?unimaginable loss of lives? since 2011.

Alia claimed that the perpetrators of the killings across the state are not Nigerians and that they speak unfamiliar languages and exhibit foreign characteristics.

He said, ?Let?s have the narrative very correct. We know Nigerians?by our ethnicities, we can identify a Fulani man, a Yoruba man, a Hausa man?we know them. Even the regular traditional herders, we know them. They work with cows, herding with sticks.

?But these folks [the attackers] are coming in fully armed with AK-47s and 49s. They do not bear the Nigerian look. They don?t speak like we do. Even the Hausa they speak is one sort of Hausa.?

The governor said intelligence from locals suggests the attackers may be foreign nationals.

?It?s not the normal Hausa we Nigerians speak. So, it is with the Fulani they speak. There is a trend in the language they speak, and some of our people who understand what they speak give it names. They say they are Malians and different from our people. But they are not Nigerians?believe it,? he added.

Governor Alia explained that this marked a new and more dangerous phase of violence compared to previous confrontations with traditional herders.

?This is the second phase we are seeing. The initial ones were with the traditional herders. The traditional herders?we had fewer troubles with them. What we are experiencing has a new, different, strange face, and it?s now alarming.

?These terrorists are everywhere. We are under siege. These people just come and hit and kill and run back. Where are they running to,? he asked.

He further said the attacks appear highly coordinated and strategically executed.

?The way these killings are being planned and carried out is definitely coordinated. Some local government areas in Benue share borders with Cameroon, and those borders are quite porous,? he said.

The governor also said intelligence reports point to the existence of terrorist hideouts in parts of Taraba and Nasarawa states, as well as in areas within Cameroon.

?The terrorists have their havens in Taraba, Nasarawa, and in border regions of Cameroon,? Alia stated.

Earlier during a condolence visit by the NSA to Makurdi, the governor lamented that Sankera, Benue?s food hub, has been under relentless assault.

?Instead of a Good Friday, we had a Black Friday. Katsina-Ala, Ukum, and Logo were hit with venomous attacks. We lost 72 lives. It?s devastating. This is a terrible moment for us,? he said.

While commending the efforts of security agencies and maintaining close communication with the NSA, Governor Alia stressed the urgent need for deeper federal intervention.

?We need help ? like yesterday. The president has shown support, and we are hopeful more will come,? he added.

The governor disclosed that the state had procured 100 Hilux vehicles and 600 motorcycles to assist conventional security operations but said the scale and coordination of the attacks are deeply troubling.

?This is carnage. The attacks are layered, like an onion ? vicious and calculated,? he said.

Ribadu assured Nigerians that despite the serious security challenges facing the country, no territory is under the control of bandits or terrorist groups.

Ribadu spoke during a visit to Benue State in response to the recent spate of killings in the Sankera axis, which includes Ukum, Katsina-Ala, and Logo LGAs.

Speaking on the broader national security situation, Ribadu acknowledged the scale of the problem but emphasised that Nigeria is not alone in facing such threats.

?Not only Nigeria has been a victim of these kinds of things. Many countries in the world have lost the fight against these evil people. Sudan today doesn?t have a government. Niger is under a military regime. Mali and Burkina Faso also face similar challenges,? he said.

Drawing from his international experience, Ribadu referenced his work in Afghanistan. ?I worked in Afghanistan in the past. Today, those people who the whole world went to fight and confront are the ones in charge. Just to tell you.?

He urged Nigerians to recognise the efforts being made and exercise patience.

?Today in our country, I believe that we?re not doing badly given the massive nature of the problem and the challenge. There is no part of Nigeria controlled by them; we have done fairly well, though we?re not yet over. The issue of security or insecurity is not something that you can instantly say you will address.?

Ribadu appealed for public understanding, noting that efforts to secure the nation were ongoing and progress was being made: ?We appeal to Nigerians to give us understanding and appreciate that there are people who are working. It?s a matter of time.?

?Attackers bent on taking over our ancestral land?

The traditional head of Ukum, Chief Orkaa Kaave claimed that the attackers were bent on taking over their ancestral land. He urged the NSA to convey to the president that the people of Ukum will not vacate their homeland or live with murderers.

?These people come with AK-47s and herds of cattle. They don?t come with wives and children, as herders used to. Our message to the president is simple: we cannot cohabit with murderers. The federal government must take them away,? he said.

Representing Tor Sankera, First Class Chief, David Sev-Av, Kaave, traced the crisis in the region to the last 15 years, when armed invaders and criminals shattered peace in what was once Africa?s largest yam-producing belt.

?For 15 years, farming has ceased. Schools have shut down. Markets and health facilities are no longer operational. Our women have no food. Children born today are stunted, undernourished and less intelligent due to constant hunger and fear,? he lamented.

In a similar vein, the traditional head of Gwer West, Chief Daniel Abomtse, said two-thirds of his LGA has been overrun by invaders, with a staggering 598,000 people displaced.

?We urge the federal government to domesticate Benue?s anti-open grazing law at the national level for proper enforcement.

?Since February 8, 2011, we?ve been under siege. I?m the ruler of 15 districts, but now we?re all squeezed into Naka, surviving on aid from the state government. It?s pitiable that 2/3 of the LGA is gone. I take daily stock and as of April 17, 2025, I can tell you that 598,000 people have been displaced in my LGA,? he said.

Also speaking, the traditional ruler of Agatu, Ad?Agatu, Chief Godwin Onah, stated that over 2,800 people have been killed in Agatu LGA since the beginning of the conflict. He said women are routinely raped and the area?s economy has collapsed completely.

On the sidelines of Ribadu?s visit, local farmers expressed frustration and called for permission to defend themselves.

Adah Eddy, a farmer from Apa LGA, said the killings may not stop unless rural communities begin to defend themselves, as previous efforts to curb the violence have yielded little or no results.

?These wicked beings always return to attack vulnerable communities. I believe it?s time for communities to start defending themselves. Only then can we begin to restore the peace we once enjoyed,? he said.

Tersoo Ishembe, from Logo LGA, warned of a looming food crisis if the situation persists.

?If we don?t resist this, we?re heading for unprecedented hunger. The government isn?t protecting us, and our lands are being taken over. Enough is enough! If the government cannot protect us, then we must defend our lands from being taken over by foreigners,? he said.

The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has distanced its members from the killings.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, the State Secretary of MACBAN, Ibrahim Galma, said the violence is purely criminal.

He said, ?The reality is that what is happening there is purely criminal activity. Herders are also victims; our cattle are being rustled; our people are being killed.

?We are not responsible for these heinous acts. The solution lies in collaboration between local authorities and stakeholders. As far as we are concerned, we are outsiders to this conflict. What is unfolding is nothing more than sheer criminality.?

The lingering security crisis in Sankera

The Sankera axis of Benue State?comprising Ukum, Logo, and Katsina-Ala local government areas?has remained a hotspot of violence for over a decade.

The roots of the crisis trace back to the deadly activities of the late notorious criminal kingpin, Terwase Akwaza, widely known as ?Gana.?

What began as attacks by suspected bandits loyal to Gana gradually escalated into a full-blown and deeply entrenched security crisis.

His reign of terror prompted the federal government to deploy a special military operation to the area to restore law and order.

However, Gana?s death on September 8, 2020, at the hands of the military near the Yandev roundabout in Gboko, did not bring the desired peace.

Instead, his network splintered into several deadly factions?most notably the groups known as Fullfire and Chain?each claiming territorial control and perpetuating his violent legacy.

Beyond his criminal enterprise, Gana was believed to have been instrumental to the victory of certain political figures during elections.

Following a fallout with his political allies, Gana?s militia redirected their violence toward traditional institutions and rival groups, engaging in bloody supremacy battles over the control of local markets and the proceeds of agricultural production, Daily Trust gathered.

During his lifetime, market days in Sankera were often marred by chaos, with reports of Gana?s men firing indiscriminately, spreading fear among traders and residents.

In August 2023, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia extended an olive branch to these fractured militant groups?popularly referred to as the ?bandits of Sankera.?

Alia?s peace offer, however, stirred controversy, as former Governor Samuel Ortom had previously granted them amnesty more than once, with mixed results.

Under Gana?s leadership, the militia?s activities had suffocated farming, disrupted cultural harmony, and crippled commerce in an area once known as a food basket of the state.

According to residents, the group initially emerged as a local militia under Gana?s command, formed to repel external threats in border communities.

But over time, politicians allegedly co-opted the group to pursue selfish interests. This shift caused the militia to lose its original mission, evolving into a violent force that has terrorised the region for years.

They have been linked to numerous killings and coordinated attacks since the twilight of former Governor Gabriel Suswam?s administration, laying siege to communities across the Sankera region.

Horrific incidents have occurred in churches, markets, homes, and even funerals, turning the area into a killing field.

Upon assuming office in 2015, Governor Ortom had attempted a ?stick-and-carrot? approach, offering amnesty to willing militants.

That programme led to Gana and 700 of his fighters initially embracing the initiative, surrendering 366 weapons through 175 youths.

But the peace was short-lived. After the assassination of Denen Igbana, a security aide to the governor in May 2016, for which Gana was accused, he returned to the bush, denying involvement but becoming a fugitive.

He was subsequently linked to a wave of violent crimes, including kidnapping, robbery, and cattle rustling, and was accused of terrorising areas along the Benue-Taraba border.

Despite several unsuccessful attempts to capture him, a second amnesty was announced by Governor Ortom.

Gana was reportedly on his way to Makurdi to accept it when the military intercepted and killed him on September 8, 2020.

Like his predecessor, Governor Alia, upon assuming office in 2023, renewed the offer of amnesty to repentant criminals, particularly those from Sankera.

He made the appeal while visiting the aftermath of an attack in Ukum LGA, where bandits had killed 30 people in the Akpuuna and Diom communities in July 2023.

Expressing outrage at the mass killing, Alia reaffirmed his commitment to eradicate criminality in the state and bring relief to victims? families.

Yet, over 16 months after extending the offer, not a single bandit has turned up in Makurdi to embrace peace and begin a new life. (Daily Trust)

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